Development and Performance Assessment of a Digital Serious Game to Assess Multi-Patient Care Skills in a Simulated Pediatric Emergency Department

Cindy Luu, Thomas B. Talbot, Cha Chi Fung, Eyal Ben-Isaac, Juan Espinoza, Susan Fischer, Christine S. Cho, Mariam Sargsyan, Sridevi Korand and Todd P. Chang

Simulation & Gaming, 2020, vol. 51, issue 4, 550-570

Abstract: Objective . Multi-patient care is important among medical trainees in an emergency department (ED). While resident efficiency is a typically measured metric, multi-patient care involves both efficiency and diagnostic / treatment accuracy. Multi-patient care ability is difficult to assess, though simulation is a potential alternative. Our objective was to generate validity evidence for a serious game in assessing multi-patient care skills among a variety of learners. Methods . This was a cross-sectional validation study using a digital serious game VitalSigns TM simulating multi-patient care within a pediatric ED . Subjects completed 5 virtual “shifts,†triaging, stabilizing, and discharging or admitting patients within a fixed time period; patients arrived at cascading intervals with pre-programmed deterioration if neglected. Predictor variables included generic multi-tasking ability, video game experience, medical knowledge, and clinical efficiency with real patients. Outcome metrics in 3 domains measured diagnostic accuracy (i.e. critical orders, diagnoses), efficiency (i.e. number of patients, time-to-order) and critical thinking (number of differential diagnoses); MANOVA determined differences between novice learners and expected expert physicians. Spearman Rank correlation determined associations between levels of expertise. Results . Ninety-five subjects’ gameplays were analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy and efficiency distinguished skill level between residency trained (residents, fellows and attendings) and pre-residency trained (medical students and undergraduate) subjects, particularly for critical orders, patients seen, and correct diagnoses (p

Keywords: emergency department; healthcare; multi-patient care; multi-tasking; pediatrics; serious game (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:simgam:v:51:y:2020:i:4:p:550-570

DOI: 10.1177/1046878120904984

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