Learning with our peers: peer-led versus instructor-led debriefing for simulated crises, a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Peer-assisted learning is recognized for its benefits in medical education but is under-researched within simulation contexts.
• The effectiveness of peer-led versus instructor-led debriefing for non-technical skill development in simulated crisis scenarios requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of peer-led debriefing against instructor-led debriefing for enhancing non-technical skills in undergraduate medical students.
• To evaluate the impact of peer debriefing on both peer debriefers and peer debriefees in simulated medical crisis scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-one undergraduate medical students were randomized into instructor-led, peer-debriefer, or peer-debriefee groups.
• Participants completed pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed retention post-test simulations.
• Non-technical skills were assessed using the Ottawa Global Rating Scale (OGRS) by blinded raters.

Main Results:

• All groups demonstrated significant improvement in non-technical skills from pre-test to immediate post-test.
• No statistically significant differences in performance improvements were observed among the different debriefing modalities.
• Performance levels remained consistent between immediate post-test and retention tests, indicating sustained skill retention.

Conclusions:

• Peer-led debriefing is as effective as instructor-led debriefing for improving undergraduate medical students' non-technical skills in simulated crisis situations.
• The peer debriefing model presents a viable, cost-effective alternative to traditional instructor-led debriefing in medical simulation.
• Peer debriefers themselves experienced improvements in their simulated clinical skills.