Multidisciplinary in-situ simulation to evaluate a rare but high-risk process at a level 1 trauma centre: the...

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Healthcare Systems Engineering
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Multidisciplinary simulation effectively teaches crisis resource management in operating rooms and emergency departments.
• In-situ simulation offers a realistic training environment within actual clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a "Mega-Sim" approach for multidisciplinary, in-situ simulation across multiple hospital departments.
• To assess institutional response to a rare, high-risk event: trauma in a pregnant patient.
• To evaluate the impact of Mega-Sim on systems issues, medical knowledge, and interdepartmental teamwork.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a "Mega-Sim" utilizing in-situ simulation methodology.
• Simulation design focused on a rare, high-risk scenario: trauma in a pregnant patient.
• Deployment of simulation across various hospital departments to facilitate multidisciplinary participation.

Main Results:

• The Mega-Sim approach successfully identified critical systems issues within the hospital.
• Participants demonstrated increased medical knowledge related to the simulated event.
• Perceptions of teamwork and communication improved both within and among participating departments.

Conclusions:

• In-situ "Mega-Sim" is a viable strategy for enhancing multidisciplinary training in complex healthcare environments.
• This simulation approach can effectively reveal and address institutional weaknesses in responding to critical events.
• Mega-Sim fosters improved interdepartmental collaboration and communication, crucial for patient safety.