Five innovative projects that will expand the use of simulation to address patient safety and quality at the point-of-care have received funding to advance their work in Ontario hospitals and other healthcare delivery agencies. A total of $47,500 has been awarded for five research projects. Collaborative funding for the projects was provided by
SIM-one (Ontario Simulation Network),
Improving & Driving Excellence Across Sectors (IDEAS) program,
Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI),
Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC), and
Accreditation Canada.
“The diversity of the applications received is truly inspiring,” says Dr. Timothy Willett, Director, Research and Development, SIM-one. “Simulation has become quite established as an educational strategy for pre-licensure healthcare students and medical residents, but has only begun to be used in hospital settings for staff development and to augment safety and quality improvement projects. There is tremendous potential to encourage simulation and to explore and develop the expertise in implementing simulation in a hospital setting.”
Congratulations to the recipients! The projects funded include:
“SOS! A Gamified App to Improve Early Detection of Acute Deterioration in the Frail Elderly”
(Raquel Meyer, Baycrest Health Sciences, Ryerson University)
The Sensory Observation System (SOS) Simulated Training App will integrate a proven game mechanic that will reinforce learning of pre-existing educational content through interactive task challenges. Through this App, eLearning, eSimulation and gamification intersect to produce a highly engaging game-world and learning environment that motivates learners to improve and apply knowledge and decision-making efficiency in the care of this at risk population.
“A simulation-based education module for the accurate diagnosis and safe management of alcohol withdrawal”
(Sev Perelman, Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto; John Peter Smith Hospital/JPS Health Network)
Accurate administration of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA) scale requires experience, yet there is no training program to teach this competency. This project involves the development, implementation and evaluation of a simulation-based quality/safety improvement program focusing on the correct administration of the CIWA for patients in alcohol withdrawal.
“Trauma Resuscitation Using in-Situ simulation Team training (TRUST study): A novel approach to safety threat identification and high-performance team training”
(Andrew Petrosoniak, St. Michael’s Hospital)
Resuscitation of a critically ill trauma patient occurs in a high-stakes and dynamic environment whereby the ad hoc trauma team must respond quickly to changes in the patient’s status. Using in-situ simulation technology, this project seeks to evaluate the trauma team’s performance during recreated trauma cases. This training strategy will help identify and resolve potential threats to patient safety while providing an opportunity to evaluate the team’s performance.
“Assessment of patients receiving complex pain management interventions: An educational module of epidural analgesia using standardized patients for Registered Nurses”
(Mona Sawhney, North York General Hospital, Queen’s University)
Although epidural analgesia, a pain management intervention used to manage pain following surgery, has become a standard of practice, Registered Nurses receive limited education regarding this modality. Simulation education using standardized patients will provide learners with opportunities to practice high-risk skills in a safe environment with the ability to provide constructive feedback, which can prevent mistakes in actual clinical settings.
“Improving the quality of team training and performance during interprofessional in situ mock code blue simulations: A randomized controlled mixed-methods study”
(Catharine Walsh, Hospital for Sick Children, St. Michael’s Hospital, Women’s College Hospital, Alberta Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary)
Communication and teamwork failures are the leading causes of errors in healthcare settings. The project will demonstrate that learners who are pre-trained using just-in-time simulation regarding CPR quality and medication administration will exhibit improved performance with respect to these skills during in situ mock codes. Results of this study will provide evidence to optimize in situ simulation-based learning of teamwork skills.
The research projects will run until December 31, 2015 and recipients will be encouraged to publish their results nationally. A one-day summit is being planned for 2016, where recipients will present their findings.
“This initiative will develop the tacit knowledge on how to make simulation work in a hospital setting,” says Willett. “We will also create a cohort with experience and expertise in simulation who can share their learnings with other healthcare organizations across the country.”
