Pre-Clinical Case Competition to Assess Confidence in Responding to Select Out-Of-Hospital Medical Emergencies

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine Simulation
• Team-Based Learning

Background:

• Preclinical medical students benefit from early practice of first responder tasks to build skills and confidence.
• Simulation-based learning and team competitions are effective tools for reinforcing critical emergency response procedures.
• Time-sensitive emergencies such as cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, and opioid overdose require rapid assessment and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation-based case competition in enhancing preclinical medical students' confidence and skills in managing emergency scenarios.
• To assess the impact of team-based learning and simulation on students' ability to apply first responder knowledge in realistic, high-pressure situations.
• To measure changes in confidence levels regarding specific emergency responses, including opioid overdose, cardiac arrest, and anaphylaxis.

Main Methods:

• A case competition format was employed, combining simulation-based and team-based learning for first- and second-year medical students.
• Students participated in simulated out-of-hospital emergency scenarios, including opioid overdose, cardiac arrest, and anaphylaxis.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to assess changes in participants' confidence in managing these emergencies.

Main Results:

• The competition significantly increased participants' confidence in managing emergency situations, with notable improvements in opioid overdose response (10% to 60% complete confidence).
• Confidence levels for cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis scenarios also showed upward trends.
• High interest was expressed for future participation, indicating positive learner engagement.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based case competitions are effective in boosting medical students' confidence and collaborative skills in handling critical emergencies.
• The competition format successfully reinforced first responder skills in a low-stakes, simulated environment.
• Future iterations could benefit from strategies to overcome recruitment challenges and potentially include more advanced learners.