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A method for measuring the effectiveness of simulation-based team training for improving communication skills
Richard H Blum1, Daniel B Raemer, John S Carroll
1*Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston; †Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital; ‡Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; §The Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Boston; and ∥Center for Medical Simulation, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|April 23, 2005
Summary
Measuring team information-sharing in medicine is challenging. This study developed a novel probe methodology to assess team information-sharing in anesthesia crisis resource management training, showing its potential validity despite low overall sharing.
Area of Science:
- Medical education
- Team performance
- Healthcare simulation
Background:
- Effective team behavior and communication are vital for optimizing performance in medical settings.
- Current methods for measuring team information-sharing in medicine are lacking.
- Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management (ACRM) courses aim to improve team dynamics during critical events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel technique for measuring team information-sharing in a simulated medical environment.
- To assess the effectiveness of an ACRM course in improving team information-sharing.
- To establish construct validity for a new information-sharing measurement methodology.
Main Methods:
- A controlled simulator setting was used to implement a "probe" methodology, embedding clinical information with trainees.
- Teams of trainees participated in a 1-day ACRM course.
- Team knowledge of the embedded probes was assessed post-training as an indicator of information-sharing.
Main Results:
- The probe methodology demonstrated construct validity, correlating measured changes in team information-sharing with self-rated changes.
- A low level of overall team information-sharing was observed.
- No statistically significant difference in group sharing was found from the beginning to the end of the training course.
Conclusions:
- The developed probe methodology shows promise for measuring team information-sharing in medical training.
- While trainees perceived the ACRM course as beneficial, the study did not demonstrate a significant improvement in objective team information-sharing.
- Further research is needed to enhance team information-sharing in crisis resource management training.