Improving Self-Confidence of Military Medical Providers With Joint Procedure Simulation: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Musculoskeletal Medicine
• Military Health

Background:

• Military medical providers operate in diverse and challenging environments, requiring proficiency in various procedures.
• Assessing provider confidence in performing joint aspiration and injection is crucial for patient care.
• Limited research exists on the confidence levels of military medical professionals regarding joint injections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a simulation workshop on military medical providers' self-confidence in performing joint aspiration and injection.
• To compare confidence levels before and after training in both clinical and austere settings.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 25 military physicians.
• A 1-hour workshop focused on knee arthrocentesis and shoulder injection.
• Pre- and post-simulation surveys assessing self-reported confidence in clinical and austere settings.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increases in confidence for shoulder arthrocentesis in both clinic (P < .01) and austere (P < .001) settings.
• Improvements in confidence for knee aspiration were observed but not statistically significant.
• Confidence gains were analyzed based on provider experience, simulation environment, and procedure.

Conclusions:

• Simulation training is an effective method for enhancing military medical providers' confidence in musculoskeletal joint procedures.
• The findings support the use of simulation in military medical education to improve procedural confidence.
• This study provides a foundation for larger investigations into provider confidence across various medical fields.