ABSTRACTS
Emergency Medical Services Provider Acceptance of and Attitudes about Pediatric SimBox SimulationsAuthor: Mark Cicero | | Associate Authors: Janette Baird | Kathleen Adelgais | Linda Brown | Marc Auerbach
Objective SimBox simulations allow for high-frequency, open-access healthcare education, overcoming cost and resource barriers. Prehospital paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) care for children infrequently. In this study, prehospital providers evaluated pediatric SimBox simulations. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of EMS professionals participating in a series of simulations conducted in a larger project assessing improvement of the quality of pediatric care in the prehospital setting. Participants were teams of two, comprised of a paramedic/paramedic, paramedic/EMT or two EMTs. The simulations used facilitator resources, debriefing prompts, video depictions of patients and vital signs, and a low-fidelity manikin. Pediatric emergency care coordinators, EMS training officers and/or emergency physicians facilitated simulations of seizure, sepsis with respiratory failure, and child abuse, followed by debriefings. Participants completed an online survey after the simulation and rated it in four domains: Prebriefing, Scenario Content, Debriefing, and Overall. Ratings were trifold: ‘Strongly Agree’, ‘Somewhat Agree’, or ‘Do Not Agree’. Data were analyzed by case type, participant type, location, participant reaction to simulation elements, and the debriefing. Net promoter scores (NPS) were calculated to assess participant endorsement of SimBox. Results There were 121 participants, 103 (87%) were paramedics and 18 (13%) EMTs. Participant agreement of simulation benefit for clinical practice was high, e.g., “I am more confident in my ability to prioritize care and interventions” (98.4% strongly or somewhat agree), and 99.2% of participants agreed the post simulation debriefing with facilitators provided opportunities to self-reflect on my performance during simulation. Overall, 97.5% strongly or somewhat agreed that the simulations “Improved my comfort in pediatric acute care”. NPS showed 65.3% were promoters of and 24% were passive about SimBox. Conclusion SimBox simulations are associated with improved self-efficacy of prehospital care providers for care of acutely ill or injured children. The majority promotes SimBox as a learning tool.
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