Development and Evaluation of a Rural Longitudinal Neonatal Resuscitation Program Telesimulation Program (MOOSE:...

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Rural Health
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• Neonatal resuscitation requires specialized skills, often lacking in rural settings.
• Rural healthcare providers frequently report underpreparation for neonatal emergencies.
• Improving neonatal resuscitation outcomes necessitates effective training and teamwork.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a longitudinal telesimulation program for rural delivery teams.
• To enhance adherence to Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) guidelines.
• To improve interprofessional teamwork during neonatal resuscitation events.

Main Methods:

• A 10-month telesimulation program with monthly sessions in one rural hospital.
• Remote expert debriefing by a neonatologist and simulation educator.
• Assessment of NRP adherence, skill efficiency, and teamwork using validated tools.

Main Results:

• NRP adherence improved significantly from 39% to 95% in full code scenarios.
• Efficiency of critical NRP skills, like cardiac lead placement, increased substantially.
• Teamwork scores demonstrated improvement across all assessed domains.

Conclusions:

• Longitudinal telesimulation is a feasible approach for improving neonatal resuscitation in rural areas.
• The pilot program indicated positive trends in NRP adherence, skill efficiency, and teamwork.
• Further research is warranted to confirm efficacy and impact on patient outcomes.