Using an Escape Room for Teaching Patient Safety.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Academic institutions face challenges in enhancing patient safety event reporting among trainees.
• Low reporting rates among residents and fellows hinder proactive patient safety initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement escape room simulations to boost resident reporting of adverse events.
• To assess the impact on teamwork and communication skills.
• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this educational approach.

Main Methods:

• Two high-fidelity medical simulation escape room cases were created by an interprofessional team.
• Senior residents and fellows participated as part of a quality improvement curriculum.
• The New World Kirkpatrick Model (levels 1-2) was used for evaluation, with pre- and post-event surveys.

Main Results:

• 130 learners participated; 95% completed post-event surveys.
• 84% had never submitted a patient safety event report before the activity.
• 83% reported an increased likelihood of submitting future event reports; cost was $6 per learner.

Conclusions:

• The escape room educational modality is feasible and acceptable for medical trainees.
• This innovative approach significantly improved willingness to submit future patient safety event reports.