WIP 12 - Utilization of Rapid-Sequence Deliberate Practice Simulation to Support Medical Students’ Skills related to Recognition of Abnormal Vital Signs

Poster Number: WIP 12
Publication Number: WIP 12.2465

Background: High fidelity simulation using rapid-sequence deliberate practice (RSDP), goal oriented repetitive activities with constructive feedback, has effectively supported skill development among health care professionals. Current literature supports the use of simulation for supplementation of knowledge during medical students’ pediatric clerkship with less evidence that simulation improves objective clinical skills among this population.

Objective: To assess the impact of a curriculum using high fidelity simulation with RSDP on clerkship-level medical students’ skills related to recognizing and intervening on vital sign abnormalities.

Design/Methods: Participants included 2nd year Vanderbilt University School of Medicine students on their pediatric clerkship. Students received a 1-hour lecture on pediatric emergencies with a focus on recognition of abnormal vital signs during their clerkship orientation. At one point during the 8-week clerkship students underwent the 3-hour high fidelity RCDP simulation curriculum in groups of 3 or 4 students that included four cases: asthma exacerbation, anaphylaxis, complex febrile seizure, and septic shock. All cases focus on the commonality of abnormal patient vital signs. Sessions were video and audio recorded and assessed using a performance rubric adapted from the Global Rating Scale to evaluate the recognition of abnormal vital signs and initial management. The rubric was completed by three emergency medicine attending physicians with inter-rater reliability calculated using Kendell’s coefficient of concordance. The primary outcome was the difference in mean scores between the 1st and 4th clinical scenarios assessed via ANOVA. Participants also completed a demographic questionnaire and retrospective pre-post survey assessing their confidence related to the curricular content and learning objectives. Data collection is active, will be completed in December, and final analysis will be completed in February 2024. This study was deemed exempt by the Vanderbilt University IRB.