Obstetric skills drills: evaluation of teaching methods

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Obstetric emergencies necessitate effective staff training for optimal risk management.
• Traditional reactive strategies for managing obstetric emergencies have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of lecture-based teaching (LBT), simulation-based teaching (SBT), and a combined approach (LAS) for obstetric emergency management training.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-six multi-professional staff were divided into six teams.
• Teams received full-day training using LBT, SBT, or LAS for Post Partum Haemorrhage management.
• Knowledge, performance, and qualitative aspects (anxiety, confidence, communication) were assessed pre-training, post-training, and at 3 months and 1 year.

Main Results:

• All training methods improved knowledge and performance.
• Simulation-based teaching (SBT) demonstrated sustained improvements in clinical management, confidence, communication, and knowledge retention.
• SBT also led to reduced anxiety and enhanced transferable skills, with improved multidisciplinary communication noted in SBT and LAS groups.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based training (SBT) is a highly effective proactive strategy for managing obstetric emergencies.
• SBT enhances teamwork, communication, and provides transferable skills, ultimately reducing errors and risks in obstetrics.
• SBT offers a superior approach to traditional methods for improving staff preparedness in high-risk obstetric scenarios.