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Simulation training on the rise in pediatric emergency fellowship programs
The use of simulation training is gaining popularity in the absence of real-world opportunities to practice necessary emergency procedures in most pediatric emergency medicine fellowship programs, according to a recent study.
“Reductions in trainees’ exposure to [emergency] procedures have been demonstrated in pediatric residency and fellowship training programs. This has been attributed to reductions in the total number of pediatric critical care events, duty hour limitations, reduced tolerance for medical errors, and increased attending presence,” Cara B. Doughty, MD, MEd, and colleagues wrote in a study. “Simulation affords training programs opportunities for skill development in a safe environment.”
Cara B. Doughty
Doughty and colleagues had a 95% response rate to a survey sent to the directors and associate directors of 73 different pediatric emergency medicine fellowship programs. The survey was developed in collaboration with American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine Program Directors Committee to catalogue and analyze the use of simulation training.
The survey assessed each program’s use of simulation training, plans for future simulation training, simulation resource availability, and the obstacles associated with getting simulation training implemented.
Of the 69 programs that responded, 97% reported use of simulation training, with the remaining 3% reporting that they planned to begin simulation training within 2 years. Most of the institutions (96%) either agreed or strongly agreed that more resources would be allocated to simulation training because it teaches procedural skills.
Simulation training often involves fellows training in emergency procedures with the use of simple mannequins, high fidelity simulators that can be programmed to respond accordingly, and even simulated patients played by actors.
Greater than one-third of the responding programs stated that their trainees spent more than 20 hours annually in simulation training.
The most common obstacles that prevented programs from investing more in simulation training were:
- faculty protected time (49%);
- faculty experience with simulation (39%);
- support for nonphysician staff attendance (35%);
- lack of an established curriculum (32%);
- the ability to schedule simulation center time (26%);
- physical space for simulations (21%), and
- equipment shortages (20%).
Researchers posit that the nearly universal use of simulation training increase from 63% to 97%, when the present study is compared with a similar study from 2008, signifies the value and importance of simulation training in pediatric emergency medicine fellowship programs.
“Simulation is now ubiquitous … and is being applied to a wide spectrum of training topics. Shared curricula and assessment tools, increased faculty and financial support, and regionalization for programs with less local resources could further ameliorate barriers to pediatric emergency medicine fellowship simulation,” Doughty and colleagues wrote. – by David Costill
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
