Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Anesthesiology is a branch of medicine which focuses on the control of pain relief and sedation during and after surgery. Anesthesiologists are also responsible for managing patients’ critical bodily functions, such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during surgery, making them indispensable in modern surgical procedures. High-fidelity simulations are a type of training exercise commonly used to train doctors so that they can improve their technical and non-technical skills. This involves ‘treating’ a lifelike mannequin that responds the way a person would, allowing trainees to practice their skills in a ‘real-time’, ‘real-life’ environment. High-fidelity simulation has been widely used in anesthesiology training and is increasingly suggested as a means of testing competence in anesthesiology. Until now however, there is a lack of evidence with respect the real impact of simulation in the anesthetic education further the technical skills. The aim of this study is to find out whether the use of high fidelity simulation can help to improve technical and non-technical skills in anesthesiology residents.
Who can participate?
Second and third year residents of the anesthesiology residency program at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
What does the study involve?
Participants take part in a total of 12 different simulated crisis scenarios, including difficult airway (difficulty putting a breathing tube in place), anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) and intraoperative cardiac arrest (when the heart stops during surgery). All scenarios are filmed and after each one, the participants are fully debriefed about how well they have done and what they have learned. After each scenario, participants also complete a survey so that that can give their opinion on how effective each session has been. Participants complete the scenarios in blocks of three, after which they take part in a test scenario where they are graded on their non-technical and technical skills. During the four test sessions, participants also complete a multiple-choice test in order to assess their knowledge.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may benefit from being able to improve their knowledge and skills in different situations that they may encounter in their career. There are no risks involved with taking part in this study.
Where is the study run from?
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Chile)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
February 2016 to February 2017
Who is funding the study?
National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Chile)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Jidong Sung
jdsung@skku.edu
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Mr Alejandro Delfino
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0659-7130
Contact details
Catholic University of Chile
Marcoleta 367
Santiago
8330024
Chile
+56 9 57394112
anestesi@med.puc.cl
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
High fidelity simulation training for anesthesia residents improves knowledge, technical and non-technical skills
Acronym
Study hypothesis
The use of high fidelity simulation could improve technical and non-technical skills in anesthesiology residents.
Ethics approval
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile ethics committee, 06/08/2013, ref: 13-199
Study design
Single-centre interventional non-randomised study
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Non randomised study
Trial setting
Hospitals
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet.
Condition
Technical and non-technical skills of anesthesiology residents
Intervention
During the second and third year of the anesthesia residency program the students participated in 12 simulated crisis scenarios (difficult airway, anaphylaxis, malignant hyperthermia, negative pressure pulmonary edema, emergency cesarean section, hypovolemic shock, local anesthetic toxicity, pediatric laryngospasm, intraoperative cardiac arrest and trauma patient management) divided in groups of 3 training scenarios, followed by a test scenario until the 12 scenarios were completed.
Residents were distributed in teams, conformed by two anesthesia residents and one operating room nurse. All the scenarios were videotaped. After each scenario a trained instructor guided a debriefing session focused on both, technical and nontechnical skills performance.
Residents completed a pre- and post-test questionnaires in order to assess their knowledge acquisition. Videotapes of test scenarios, were later reviewed by two blinded independent assessors, who rated participant’s technical and nontechnical skills. Resident’s medical (technical) management was graded using the number of tasks correctly performed, from checklists designed by Arriaga for intraoperative emergencies. Non-technical skills were graded using the Anaesthetists' Non-Technical Skills (ANTS) system.
A satisfaction survey was distributed immediately after each session to rate the simulation scenarios.
Intervention type
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
1. Technical skills are measured in a test scenario which is completed every time participants have completed three scenarios (four in total) and are graded using the Arriagada checklist
2. Non-technical skills are measured in a test scenario which is completed every time participants have completed three scenarios (four in total) and are graded using the anaesthetists' Non-Technical Skills (ANTS) system
Secondary outcome measures
1. Knowledge is measured suing a purpose-designed multiple-choice test at the start of each group of three scenarios and during the test scenario
2. Users' satisfaction is measured using a satisfaction survey after each scenario is completed
Overall trial start date
01/03/2013
Overall trial end date
01/12/2016
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Residents of second and third year of the anesthesiology residency program at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
Participant type
Health professional
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
60
Participant exclusion criteria
Refusal to participate in the study.
Recruitment start date
04/05/2014
Recruitment end date
10/12/2015
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Chile
Trial participating centre
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile)
420, - Av Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 328
Santiago
8330024
Chile
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica)
Alternative name(s)
National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research, CONICYT
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
federal
Location
Chile
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Planned publication in an anesthesiology or education journal.
Intention to publish date
30/06/2017
Participant level data
To be made available at a later date
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary