Simulating for Quality: A Centralized Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Simulation Curriculum for Residents and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Graduate medical education (GME) faces challenges in providing experiential education for quality improvement and patient safety (QI/PS).
• Key barriers include a lack of expert faculty, standardized curricula, and consistent data access for improvement cycles.
• Expanded GME requirements necessitate effective QI/PS training solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a centralized, simulation-based medical education (SBME) curriculum for QI/PS in GME.
• To address the challenges of faculty expertise, curriculum standardization, and data utilization in QI/PS training.
• To assess the impact of the curriculum on learner attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

Main Methods:

• A flipped-classroom, SBME curriculum was developed for GME trainees at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
• The curriculum involved prework (readings, videos) followed by an 8-hour simulation day with 4 linked sessions focusing on a medication error.
• Sessions covered disclosure, root cause analysis, action plan implementation, and lessons learned.
• The curriculum was piloted with 71 residents and fellows from 23 programs.

Main Results:

• Learners reported favorable reactions to the simulation curriculum.
• Significant increases in learner attitudes, confidence, knowledge, and skills were observed across all QI/PS domains.
• The pilot involved 71 residents and fellows from 23 diverse training programs.

Conclusions:

• The centralized, SBME approach effectively enhances QI/PS education for GME trainees.
• This model provides a scalable and time-efficient method for data-driven, practice-based learning and improvement.
• Future work includes assessing outcome sustainability, behavioral translation, and broader professional applicability.