Yen-Yi Juo, Sophia Poorsattar, Cameron Rice, Yue-Ming Huang, Markus Iseli, John Joon Lee, Alan Koenig, Rukhsana Khan, Rachel Lewin, Michael Smith, Federica Raia, Noreen Webb, Areti Tillou, Randolph Steadman. UCLA
OBJECTIVE: To develop a first-person interactive computer simulation game that can train medical professionals to lead an ad hoc team.
DESCRIPTION: During trauma code activations or crises in the operating room / intensive care unit / emergency department, medical professionals need to function under stress with an ad hoc team of experts from different disciplines, including surgeons, physicians, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, technicians, etc. Most medical errors could be attributed to lapses in teamwork and communication, but team training with real team members is difficult to implement logistically. One common modern educational modality is the use of first-person simulation video gameplay. This framework was adapted from aviation training, where high-fidelity simulation is required and the consequences of error are grave. While gameplay models have been developed for acquiring specific knowledge and technical skill-based medical training, few have attempted to utilize this framework for interactive teamwork leadership training, where effective communication skills were required.
An interdisciplinary group from the UCLA departments of Surgery and Anesthesiology, the Graduate School of Education, and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing, has developed a serious game using a mixed randomized repeated measures design, where participants were assigned to act either as a team leader or team leader evaluator in a series of medical scenarios in the emergency department, operating room, and intensive care unit. The players were required to interact with non-playable characters in the computer game and make decisions that will guide the team through the safe resolution of each scenario. The scenarios were developed to minimize medical content and maximize emphasis on the following teamwork skills: leadership, communication, mutual support and situation monitoring. Participants’ skill acquisition will be measured using an automated assessment engine via a specifically designed an ontology (node-based Bayesian network), based on an extensive literature review on prior research on teamwork training. Learning outcomes included knowledge (teamwork concepts and strategies, shared mental model), attitudes (psychological safety, team orientation, game interface usability) and performance decisions.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS: Results from pilot study game users demonstrated satisfactory levels of intuitiveness and comprehensibility for the user interface. Continuing subject recruitment is currently under way.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS: In addition to demonstrating acquisition of teamwork-related competencies at the end of the gameplay, we are interested in the knowledge transfer to practice and cultural transformation in the healthcare system that will ultimately result in improved communication and reduced medical errors. The availability of a standardized training tool like our computer gameplay will allow more distributed and objective evaluation of the effectiveness of training on teamwork performance. Additional development using virtual reality technologies will further enhance gameplay and fidelity to real life scenarios.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 98854
Program Number: ETP726
Presentation Session: Emerging Technology Poster Session (Non CME)
Presentation Type: Poster
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