Evaluation of medical student retention of clinical skills following simulation training.

BACKGROUND: Adequate clinical skills training is a challenge for present day medical education. Simulation Based Education (SBE) is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare education worldwide to teach invasive procedures. The impact of this teaching on students along with retention of what is taught is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the retention levels of practical skills taught and assessed by SBE and to explore the degree of re-training required to restore decayed performance. In exploring this aim, the study further investigates how skilled performance decays over time and which dimensions of clinical skills were more likely to decay. METHODS: Study participants were 51 final year medical students. They were provided with online pre-course videos and procedural guides asynchronously with repeatedly access. 7 of the skills taught over 2 years using task trainers were selected. Following demonstration from faculty, students practiced in small groups with faculty facilitated supervision and peer support prior to formal testing. Score sheets with itemised procedure checklists detailing the minimum passing standard (MPS) for each skill were designed. To test retention of skills, 18 months later, there was an unannounced test to demonstrate proficiency in the skills. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire indicating how many times and where they had practiced or performed the skills. RESULTS: 55% of the students were deficient in 3 or more skills and 4% were not competent in 5 or more skills. A significant number of students had never practiced some skills following the initial teaching session. A relationship was noted with the number of times students self-declared that they had practiced and their performance. Decay is evident in both psychomotor and cognitive domains of the skills. CONCLUSION: A curriculum with deliberate practice significantly increases the competence of students in defined clinical skills. Deliberate practice of clinical skills, under supervision of an engaged instructor, is a key component of the mastery model. Experiences and assessments in the clinical setting need to be augmented with focus on direct observation and focused feedback to reinforce the skills acquired in the simulated setting.

Developing a clamshell thoracotomy training model to support hybrid teaching in simulation-based education.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracotomy is an acute, time-sensitive procedure. Simulation-based education provides a safe-learning platform to learn these techniques under close supervision. METHODS: We used the spiral model and concepts of functional fidelity to guide the evolutionary design and fabrication of a hybrid thoracotomy simulator. RESULTS: This model simulates a clamshell thoracotomy that physically integrates with bespoke manikins and adds a high-fidelity technical skills element to immersive team-based simulation training. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the creation of a thoracotomy simulation model that allows trainees to practice these techniques in a safe-learning environment.

Collating evidence to support the validation of a simulated laparotomy incision and closure-training model.

BACKGROUND: It is essential to evaluate the functionality of surgical simulation models, in order to determine whether they perform as intended. In this study, we assessed the use of a simulated laparotomy incision and closure-training model by collating validity evidence to determine its utility as well as pre and post-test interval data. METHOD: This was a quantitative study design, informed by Messick's unified validity framework. In total, 93 participants (surgical trainees â€‹= â€‹80, experts â€‹= â€‹13) participated in this study. Evaluation of content validity and the models' relationships with other variables was conducted, along with a pre and post-test confidence assessment. RESULTS: The model was deemed realistic and useful as a teaching tool, providing strong content validity evidence. In assessment of relationships with other variables, the expert group out-performed the novice group conclusively. Pre and post-test evaluation reported a statistically significant increase in confidence levels. CONCLUSION: We present strong validity evidence of a novel laparotomy incision and closure simulation-training model.

A comparative analysis of student, educator, and simulated parent ratings of video-recorded medical student consultations in pediatrics.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based education (SBE) affords learners opportunities to develop communication skills, including those related to pediatrics. Feedback is an integral part of SBE, and while much research into feedback from multiple sources exists, the findings are mixed. The aim of this comparative study was to replicate some of this work in a novel area, pediatric medical education, to better understand how multisource feedback (self, educator, and simulated parent) may inform learning and curriculum design. METHODS: During their pediatric rotation, medical students participated in a consultation with a simulated parent, engaged in video-assisted self-reflection, and received feedback from both an educator and the simulated parent through an e-learning platform. The Pediatric Consultation Skills Assessment Tool (PCAT) was used for self-assessment and educator feedback, and the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure was used for simulated parent feedback. RESULTS: Our results showed that high-performing students underrated their performance, and low-performing students overrated their performance. Feedback from multiple sources helps to identify both areas of weakness in student performance and areas of weakness in student self-appraisal. Overall, general areas of weakness identified for the learners related to making contingency plans and providing easy-to-understand explanations for simulated parents. Some simulated parent feedback did not align with educator and student ratings, highlighting the value of including the simulated parent perspective. Our findings question whether a third party can reliably judge the simulated parent's level of understanding. CONCLUSION: Multisource feedback allows students to develop layered insights into their performance and supports self-appraisal. Aggregating feedback through an e-learning platform allows educators to gain greater insights into the strengths and weakness of students and design a more tailored teaching plan to support student needs.

Remote feedback in endovascular simulation training: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing need to increase simulation-based learning opportunities for vascular surgery residents in endovascular skills training. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of remote expert instructional feedback of endovascular simulation-based education, as a means of increasing training opportunities in this area for vascular surgery residents. METHODS: A mixed-methods study design was adopted. Twelve vascular surgery residents from Ireland were tasked with completing two endovascular renal artery procedures: one with in-person expert feedback and the other with remote instruction. Participants ranged in experience levels from second year to final year of residency. Following the training activities, interviews and a questionnaire were employed to gather information on the usefulness of remote feedback. RESULTS: There was no significant difference reported by participants using a post-event validated questionnaire between remote and in-person feedback. During the interviews, participants expressed mixed feelings about the presence of the educator while practicing, but they eventually saw no limiting factors to their practice when the trainer provided remote feedback. When receiving performance feedback remotely, clear communication and a shared knowledge of the task development are critical to success. CONCLUSIONS: We believe these findings can inform the design and development of remote learning and assessment of endovascular skills training and ultimately provide increased opportunities for more skills practice for vascular surgical residents.

A Mixed Methods Study Identifying the Competencies of Health Care Simulation Technicians.

INTRODUCTION: Health care simulation technicians (HSTs), also referred to as simulation operations specialists, are essential to the delivery of simulation-based education. The HST role draws on a broad range of knowledge, skills, and attitude competencies. However, because of the neoteric nature of the HST role and the ambiguity surrounding the core responsibilities of the position, it has proved difficult to identify the competencies required to perform this role successfully. This study aims to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitude competencies required by HSTs. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used in this study. Data were collected from (1) online searches of HST job descriptions and (2) semistructured interviews about the competencies required by HSTs with 10 HSTs, 10 health care simulation educators, and 10 health care simulation center managers/director. The data from the job descriptions and interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, using a framework method to guide the coding. RESULTS: A total of 59 competencies were identified from the job descriptions and 65 competencies from the interviews. This analysis resulted in the identification of 9 competency domains: 3 knowledge domains (technical, clinical, and pedagogic), 4 skills domains (resourcefulness, pedagogic, team, and technical), and 2 attitudes domains (professional and "can-do" mentality). CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the competencies required by HSTs will support the selection of candidates with the attributes that will allow them to be successful in this role and guide continuous professional development opportunities for current and future HSTs.

Their OSCE, not your Oscar: Simulated Patients' Perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Simulated patients (SPs) are involved widely in the support of health care education for communication and consultation skills teaching. This study aimed to explore SPs' perspectives of their role and contribution to health professions education. METHODS: A qualitative approach was used. Twenty-two SPs (actor and non-actor) involved in teaching at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) participated in one of four focus groups, which were audiorecorded. Two focus groups involved professional actors (n = 7), and two focus groups involved non-actor SPs (n = 15). Transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The first theme 'Reward of Contribution' highlights how the SP role is situated in a position of mutual benefit for both SP and student. The second theme 'Multiple Personas' demonstrates the complexity of SP role portrayal. The third theme 'Culture and Communication' is a new finding and demonstrates the role SPs feel they have in helping to change the culture of health care practice. The fourth theme 'A touchy subject' addresses the preferences of SPs concerning involvement in both intimate and nonintimate physical examination. CONCLUSIONS: SPs believe they have an important role to play in health care education and they also learn from their involvement. SPs' perspectives need to be considered to ensure they feel supported in their role and that their unique insights remain beneficial for student learning.

Tumour hypoxia, chemotherapeutic resistance and hypoxia-related therapies.

Tissue hypoxia occurs where there is an imbalance between oxygen supply and consumption. Hypoxia occurs in solid tumours as a result of an inadequate supply of oxygen, due to exponential cellular proliferation and an inefficient vascular supply. It is an adverse prognostic indicator in cancer as it is associated with tumour progression and resistance to therapy. The expression of several genes controlling tumour cell survival are regulated by hypoxia, e.g., growth factors governing the formation of new blood vessels, and hypoxia-responsive transcription factors modulating the expression of genes, which promote tumour cell survival. This review outlines some of the pathways by which tumour hypoxia leads to chemotherapeutic resistance, directly due to lack of oxygen availability, and indirectly due to alterations in the proteome/genome, angiogenesis and pH changes. Some innovative therapies are also detailed which may potentially minimise or eliminate these problems associated with targeting solid tumours.

Taurine protects against PMN dysfunction and death in urine.

The polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) is the primary pro-inflammatory cell in the host response to bacterial infection and, as the first line of defence, is the principal cell responsible for the recognition, phagocytosis and killing of bacteria. PMN function is known to be defective in the urine. High osmolarity is physiologic in the urine and this hypertonic environment has been shown to compromise neutrophil function. In this study, PMN function was found to be suppressed in urine. This correlated with significant cell death, both by apoptosis and necrosis. The amino acid taurine down regulated PMN cell death and preserved function in the urine, suggesting taurine as a therapeutic option for urinary tract infection.