Studying distributed cognition of simulation-based team training with DiCoT

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Ergonomics
• Human Factors Engineering
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Simulation-based team training (SBTT) is vital for enhancing healthcare team skills and coordination.
• Current evaluation methods for SBTT primarily use quantitative team performance metrics.
• A gap exists in practical evaluation methods assessing the cognitive and collaborative support within SBTT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of Distributed Cognition for Teamwork (DiCoT) for evaluating SBTT.
• To determine if DiCoT can identify key distributed cognition attributes relevant to simulation validity.
• To explore how DiCoT can inform the design of SBTT for improved transfer and validity.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was employed to evaluate DiCoT.
• Four simulation exercises using the Emergo Train System® were observed and analyzed.
• The analysis focused on cognitive and collaboration aspects within the SBTT environment.

Main Results:

• DiCoT was found to be an applicable and learnable tool for evaluating SBTT.
• The method successfully identified key distributed cognition attributes crucial for simulation validity.
• DiCoT provides insights for enhancing the design of SBTT environments.

Conclusions:

• DiCoT is a valuable method for assessing the cognitive ergonomics of SBTT.
• The findings support the use of DiCoT for evaluating and redesigning medical simulation training.
• DiCoT enhances the understanding of cognition and teamwork in simulation-based training contexts.