Use of an Observer Tool to Improve Learning Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest Management

Summary

Only approximately 10.4% of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survive their initial hospitalization. The very early management of cardiac arrest is indeed considered an extremely important criterion to improve patients' outcome. Despite recent advances and improved results, outcomes remain poor, especially because bystanders are not well trained to manage such a crisis situation. According to the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, teaching and learning the knowledge, skills and attitudes of resuscitation with the ultimate aim of improving patient survival after cardiac arrest is thus an essential goal. Teaching and learning strategies are numerous and have been well described and reviewed recently. Considering initial training methods already requires attention as study results often fail to show complete and effective learning after the initial training. Educational efficiency may be improved by several means (for example use of digital media) but it is now clear that more effective training strategies, i.e. those focusing on the cognitive process which leads to inclusion in memory), are needed.

One recently introduced strategy, mainly in the field of simulation, is the use of observer tools. It has been shown that although effectiveness was still poorly demonstrated, this method had the potential to improve learning outcomes. An observer tool is a document which is used by observers during a scenario played by other learners and immediately compares the player's technical or non-technical skills with a referential guide.

As it has been shown that observers learn less than those on the "hot seat" and as time for training is limited and the number of trainees is huge, focusing on observers is important. By visually assessing the practice of others repeatedly during the course and comparing each performance to the reference (i.e. the observer tool), the learner may increase his engagement in the training process with an expected final result of improved training efficacy.

In a previous study performed in our simulation center, it has been have shown that using an observer tool increases immediate learning scores during operating room crisis management simulation. Good data on the use of such an observer tool in other training fields is needed to confirm these preliminary positive results.

Conditions

• Simulation
• Education

Interventions

OTHER

observer tool

The observer tool is paper-based and is divided in columns (each column filled out for a dyad observed) with lines representing the above-described steps of learning and presented with visual incremental actions to be performed. The observer tool will only be used to reinforce learning and will not be used for summative evaluation. Instructors have already been involved in previous simulation studies performed in our center, and especially those in which an observer tool has been assessed (one study published, two manuscripts in preparation).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Université Paris-Sud

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dan BENHAMOU, MD · Université Paris-Sud

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-01-10

Primary Completion

2022-01-20

Completion

2022-12-31