Simulation-Based Training for New-Onset Symptomatic Rapid Atrial Fibrillation Among Prehospital Health Care Providers

Area of Science:

• Emergency medicine
• Medical simulation
• Cardiac arrhythmias

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia requiring proficient diagnosis and treatment.
• Increased incidence of new-onset symptomatic rapid atrial fibrillation (NOSRAF) necessitates consistent provider training.
• Prehospital healthcare providers require effective training for managing NOSRAF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a simulation-based training (SBT) program for prehospital healthcare providers.
• To assess the impact of SBT on the management of NOSRAF.
• To improve patient outcomes through enhanced provider preparedness.

Main Methods:

• A pre/post design was employed to evaluate the SBT program.
• Data collected using a protocol-based checklist and knowledge questionnaire.
• Simulation effectiveness assessed using the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified (SET-M).

Main Results:

• SBT significantly improved NOSRAF protocol compliance among prehospital providers.
• No significant change in provider confidence was observed based on SET-M data.
• Further investigation into SBT for prehospital settings is warranted.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based training can enhance prehospital provider preparedness for managing NOSRAF.
• Additional research is needed to fully understand the impact of simulation-based learning in prehospital care.
• Future studies should identify knowledge decay timelines and optimize SBT for this population.