Impact of Simulation-Based Closed-Loop Communication Training on Medical Errors in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Closed-loop communication (CLC) promotes a shared understanding of information. The authors hypothesized that simulation-based CLC training would improve staff perceptions of CLC ability and decrease medical errors. Participants experienced 2 hands-on CLC simulations one month apart. A retrospective chart review of Emergency Severity Index (ESI) 1 patients was conducted 4 months pre and post CLC simulation-based training. Seventy simulations were held over 13 weeks. Staff perceptions of CLC ability improved and were sustained after one month. Nine ESI 1 patients were seen pre CLC, and 9 post; 8/9 pre-CLC ESI 1 patients had medical errors, with 19 total errors noted; 5/9 post-CLC ESI 1 patients had medical errors, with 5 total errors noted (rate ratio [99% CI] = 3.8 [1.4, 10.2]; P = .008). This simulation-based CLC training curriculum improved staff perceptions of their CLC ability and was associated with a significant decrease in the number of medical errors in ESI 1 patients.