A Post-operative Masquerade: Simulation-based Scenario Challenging Clinical Clerks to Recognize an Atypical Presentation of Myocardial Infarction.

Post-operative myocardial infarctions (MI) are a challenging diagnosis due to the alterations in the presenting complaint compared to an acute MI. Patients may be asymptomatic due to their anesthetics and sedatives from their operation which may create clinical confusion. As such, there is an increased risk for delayed administration of reperfusion therapies in this patient population which has shown to increase morbidity and mortality. It is anticipated that the difficulty of recognizing a post-operative MI would be exacerbated for clinical clerks due to their lack of clinical experience and overstimulation. Fortunately, the use of simulation-based learning has been proven to be a useful teaching tool to help clinical clerks manage medical problems in a controlled environment. This technical report describes a simulation case designed to enhance the recognition and response to a post-operative MI by a third-year clinical clerk. In this scenario, a 56-year-old male accountant presents with shortness of breath while recovering in the orthopaedic ward 12 hours following a total knee replacement (TKR). The clinical clerks are expected to conduct an independent follow-up prior to finishing their shift during which the patient begins complaining of shortness of breath. The clerk is required to order an electrocardiogram (ECG) for further analysis which reveals an anterior ST-segment elevation. Once recognized, a request for the crash cart and patient handover to the senior physician are expected.

Patient Handover in Emergency Trauma Situations.

Miscommunication during patient handover can be a major cause of preventable medical errors. Emergency traumas are situations where high stress and cognitive load make communication more difficult. Simulation allows for junior learners to practice emergency scenarios in a low-risk setting. This technical report outlines a simulation involving patient handover in emergency trauma scenarios. The intended group of learners are first-year surgery and emergency medicine residents. The scenarios were developed based on the learning objectives of communication, collaboration, and information transfer. Using a high-fidelity simulation mimicking a tertiary care facility, the skills performed in these scenarios can be applied to everyday practice.

Anatomical 3D-Printed Silicone Prostate Gland Models and Rectal Examination Task Trainer for the Training of Medical Residents and Undergraduate Medical Students.

The current generation of graduating medical students is entering into practice with minimal exposure to the digital rectal examination (DRE), a necessary component of a complete physical examination. Simulation-based medical education (SBME) using anatomical silicone models and task trainers can provide hands-on training opportunities for medical students to rehearse DREs. However, there is a scarcity of affordable, validated, and anatomically correct silicone prostate models and task trainers for rehearsing DREs. This technical report describes and validates evidence for silicone prostate models and a DRE task trainer created from three-dimensional (3D)-printed molds for medical student- and resident-training and clinical skills maintenance. A pre-existing 3D human model and five different prostate models from open-source, royalty-free websites were converted using Fusion360™ (Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA) into stereolithography files and altered to produce negative molds. The prostate molds were filled with silicone and polylactic acid filament "nodules". The buttocks were isolated from the human model and an anal canal was designed with a larger cavity on the interior to hold the silicone prostate models to simulate a real DRE. Five practicing urologists were recruited to evaluate the 3D-printed silicone prostate models and the DRE task trainer. The participants were provided with a qualitative survey and asked to rate the perceived realism and educational effectiveness of the prostate models and task trainer. The silicone models and task trainer were found to be useful for simulation training when attempting DRE techniques. The feedback from the participants was positive overall and provided recommendations for improvement including stabilizing the prostate models in the task trainer, smoothening the transition between the rectum and the prostate, and adding an additional "normal" prostate model. Silicone prostate models and DRE task trainers created from 3D molds are economical and anatomically and tactically accurate training tools to teach and maintain DRE skills as compared to commercially available, cost-prohibitive models. After making the suggested and appropriate modifications, the prostate models and DRE task trainer could potentially be used as tools for clinical skills training and maintenance and for patient education in the future.

Use of human patient simulation and validation of the Team Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (TSAGAT): a multidisciplinary team assessment tool in trauma education.

OBJECTIVE: Situation awareness (SA) is a vital construct for decision making in intense, dynamic environments such as trauma resuscitation. Human patient simulation (HPS) allows for a safe environment where individuals can develop these skills. Trauma resuscitation is performed by multidisciplinary teams that are traditionally difficult to globally assess. Our objective was to create and validate a novel tool to measure SA in multidisciplinary trauma teams using a HPS--the Team Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (TSAGAT). SETTING: Memorial University Simulation Centre. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: Using HPS, 4 trauma teams completed 2 separate trauma scenarios. Student, junior resident, senior resident, and attending staff teams each had 3 members (trauma team leader, nurse, and airway manager). Individual SAGATs were developed by experts in each respective field and contained shared and complimentary knowledge questions. Teams were assessed with SAGAT in real time and with traditional checklists using video review. TSAGAT was calculated as the sum of individual SAGAT scores and was compared with the traditional checklist scores. RESULTS: Shared, complimentary, and TSAGAT scores improved with increasing team experience. Differences between teams for TSAGAT and complimentary knowledge were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Mean checklist differences between teams also reached statistical significance (p < 0.05). TSAGAT scores correlated strongly with traditional checklist scores (Pearson correlation r = 0.996). Interrater reliability for the checklist tool was high (Pearson correlation r = 0.937). CONCLUSION: TSAGAT is the first valid and reliable assessment tool incorporating SA and HPS for multidisciplinary team performance in trauma resuscitation. TSAGAT could compliment or improve on current assessment methods and curricula in trauma and critical care and provides a template for team assessment in other areas of surgical education.