An Alternative to Traditional Bedside Teaching During COVID-19: High-Fidelity Simulation-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Cardiorespiratory Medicine

Background:

• Bedside teaching is crucial for developing clinical skills but has declined, with COVID-19 posing further challenges.
• The pandemic reduced bedside teaching opportunities due to viral exposure risks and patient reluctance.
• Simulation-based education offers a safe, standardized alternative for medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a high-fidelity simulation model for bedside teaching for third-year medical students.
• To provide a COVID-19-safe learning environment for history taking and clinical examination.
• To address the impact of ward closures on cardiorespiratory teaching.

Main Methods:

• Developed simulation scenarios for asthma and aortic stenosis using SimMan 3G.
• Students practiced focused cardiorespiratory history taking and examination.
• Interactive presentations and debriefing sessions covered key aspects of the pathologies.

Main Results:

• 12 third-year students participated, with highly positive feedback.
• 90% of students reported increased confidence in clinical examination skills.
• 100% would recommend the session, with requests for regular simulation implementation.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based medical education provides a viable solution to ongoing challenges in bedside teaching.
• This approach maintained student and staff safety while ensuring continued medical education during the pandemic.
• Further research into simulation for undergraduate bedside teaching is warranted.