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Simulated Anaesthetic Scenarios: Delivering free, online education to all.

The creation of a free-access, online, video library of simulated anaesthetic scenarios designed to address the changes in the delivery of multi-disciplinary education as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read comments 9
  • Proposal
  • 2020

Meet the team

Also:

  • Dominic Smith, Consultant Anaesthetist
  • Jess Wiggins, Consultant Anaesthetist
  • Lynsey Woodward, Consultant Anaesthetist
  • Ali Tattam, Deputy Clinical Leader, Anaesthetics
  • Andrew Vaughton, Consultant Anaesthetist
  • Ian Mowat, Consultant Anaesthetist

What is the positive change that has emerged through new collaborations or partnerships during Covid-19 that your project is going to embed?

Covid-19 has prompted the medical community to explore new ways of learning and a host of online options have worked effectively. Team training of skills and human factors using high-fidelity simulation is difficult to deliver with social distancing.

Team simulation improves patient safety and is effective in teaching and implementing guidelines. A survey in our deanery showed that 45% of anaesthetic trainees don’t have access to regular simulation training and of those who do, 66% have experienced a significant reduction since the start of the pandemic.

The simulation faculty at Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) proposes a novel way to embed guidelines, improve patient safety and enhance online courses and education. Encouraged by positive feedback and the success of simulation videos to teach new protocols for intubating patients with Covid-19, we have initiated the development of a free, online library of realistic, simulated anaesthetic emergency scenarios and plan to create a comprehensive resource.

What does your project aim to achieve?

This project aims to provide free online simulated anaesthetic scenarios and is uniquely aimed at all members of the theatre team.

We envisage this benefitting a wide range of participants including anaesthetists, theatre staff returning to work after shielding or maternity leave and multidisciplinary theatre teams. The website is already endorsed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

We have collated feedback demonstrating the value in increasing confidence, reiterating skills and bringing teams together.

We are collaborating with Bournemouth University to use the videos to support the BSc Operating Department Practice course.

Locally, to support the merger of Poole and Bournemouth Hospitals to create University Hospitals Dorset, we plan to use videoed simulation to embed new protocols and to assist teams who will be working in new environments.

The worldwide potential to provide online team simulation training in developing countries, where access to this training style is non-existent, is very exciting.

How will the project be delivered?

www.simulatedanaestheticscenarios.com is up and running, publicised predominantly through social media. It has been viewed worldwide and we will continually promote as more videos go online.

With funding we will seek expert input, developing the website and improving functionality and searchability.

We have been approached to produce videos to support training courses and envisage requests increasing as courses move online. We would like to be able to fulfil these requests and funding will enable ongoing production of quality videos and creation of a comprehensive resource.

We are collecting feedback via the website and social media. We are measuring impact by assessing differences between teams trained using videos versus those trained without when performing simulation. Early results are very encouraging.

The website is a non-profit enterprise but, to fund the project going forward, we plan to develop a virtual, interactive anaesthetic simulation course to complement the videos.

How is your project going to share learning?

A library of simulation resources provides an excellent opportunity to collect evidence to support the usefulness of team simulation training to improve patient safety and reduce the impact of human factors. Preliminary qualitative feedback and early results from comparison tests will be presented at the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare conference, 2020, and further qualitative and quantitative research is planned and will be put forward for publication. Results from all our research to date and going forward will be shared in the research section of www.simulatedanaestheticscenarios.com.

We plan to continue collecting and responding to feedback visibly, both on the website and on social media.

Learning from this project will be shared through the Q Exchange with regular updates for the community. It is hoped that conversations about how we can support virtual medical education and maintain or improve patient safety in anaesthesia will prompt similar projects within other acute specialties.

How you can contribute

  • We would benefit from input by anyone with experience in promoting ideas on a national and international scale.
  • We are open to constructive criticism to challenge and expand our ideas.
  • Opportunities for networking and collaborating would be welcomed.

Plan timeline

11 Nov 2020 Presentation of preliminary results at ASPiH 2020
16 Nov 2020 Ongoing film production to expand library
16 Nov 2020 Regular simulation training with further assessment/research
4 Jan 2021 Further engagement with Bournemouth University to develop course material
4 Jan 2021 Promotion of project within Q community
1 Mar 2021 Further film production - aim to release two per month
1 Mar 2021 Phase 2 - IT support and active promotion
5 Apr 2021 Faculty meeting to plan virtual course development
6 Sep 2021 Provisional planned launch of virtual course

Comments

  1. Really excited to hear about this project.  Anaesthetics teams continue to have pole position when it comes to deep appreciation for human factors and simulation in healthcare.  Fantastic opportunity for large scale impact at a global level.  Like the partnership approach with the university too which increases reach and impact.

    1. Thanks. We are really pleased you can see the potential. Keen to have advice on effective promotion, we are using twitter and Trust comms as well as the website and RCOA. Also keen to collaborate with other specialities who may want to adopt and adapt our concept in their area of clinical expertise.

  2. Great project. I can see real potential benefits for improving training and patient safety particularly for those in smaller departments.

    1. Thankyou we feel it combines human factor training with key National emergency guidelines and is widely transferable and accessible in this format.

  3. Guest

    Daniel Helme 30 Sep 2020

    Excellent project. Sharing learning across the country with realistic online simulated scenarios. Have certainly shared it amongst trainees who due tto Covid 19 have not had the chance to attend any simulation courses. Very useful

    1. That’s great to hear. Any constructive criticism helpful too

  4. Brilliant project supporting MDT learning and the opportunity for reflection on a wide variety of anaesthetic emergencies.  Based within an already RCOA accredited platform this offers a great opportunity for Q to enhance patient saftey and patient experience whilst supporting MDT learning in collaboration with a forward thinking departmental and university partnership.

  5. Guest

    Laura Fulton 28 Sep 2020

    Very professionally made, clinically and educationally sound videos. An excellent resource for all grades of anaesthetists.

  6. Fantastic project. These simulated videos have been an invaluable resource during Covid-19 pandemic. They have enabled all members of the department to keep up to date and improve their knowledge. Good luck with your application.

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