The Challenging Case Conference: A Gamified Approach to Clinical Reasoning in the Video Conference Era

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Clinical reasoning is crucial for emergency medicine (EM) residents.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to virtual education, impacting traditional learning methods.
• Reduced clinical case diversity poses challenges for trainee development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate an innovative virtual case conference format.
• To foster clinical reasoning skills and enhance trainee engagement.
• To address limitations of traditional EM resident education in a virtual setting.

Main Methods:

• A gamified, low-fidelity simulation case conference was developed.
• Resident teams presented and "played" simulated challenging clinical cases.
• Facilitated debriefings included simulation-trained faculty, residents, and a virtual audience.

Main Results:

• Participants reported improved perceptions of their clinical reasoning abilities.
• Audience members experienced increased engagement compared to traditional conferences.
• The format unexpectedly destigmatized discussions of medical errors.

Conclusions:

• The gamified virtual case conference effectively enhances clinical reasoning and engagement.
• This innovative approach offers a valuable alternative to traditional EM conferences.
• Residency programs should consider implementing this model into their curriculum.