Impact of Simulation on Critical Care Fellows' Electroencephalography Learning

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Education
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Continuous electroencephalography (EEG) is crucial for intensive care unit (ICU) monitoring.
• EEG interpretation is a key skill for critical care fellows (CCFs).
• Current educational methods for EEG interpretation require enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel EEG educational curriculum for CCFs.
• To assess the effectiveness of a web-based simulator combined with a tutorial.
• To measure improvements in EEG interpretation skills among CCFs.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 13 CCFs from various specialties.
• Participants completed a baseline EEG assessment and a tutorial podcast.
• EEG interpretation skills were practiced using a web-based simulator with hints.
• Performance was assessed via simulator metrics and a post-curriculum EEG assessment.

Main Results:

• All 13 CCFs completed the curriculum, showing significant improvements in performance metrics.
• Simulator performance, including hint usage and interpretation accuracy, varied across scenarios.
• A higher overall hint-based score correlated positively with improved EEG assessment scores.
• The curriculum significantly improved CCF scores on the EEG assessment compared to baseline.

Conclusions:

• A self-paced, flipped-classroom EEG curriculum using screen-based simulation is effective.
• This short (<1 hour) curriculum significantly enhances EEG interpretation skills in CCFs.
• Web-based simulation offers a valuable tool for critical care neuroscience education.