Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Introduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) accelerated the need for virtual learning including telesimulation. Many emergency medicine (EM) programs halted in-person simulation and trialed telesimulation, but specifics on its utilization and plans for future use are unknown. Telesimulation has been defined as “a process by which telecommunication and simulation resources are utilized to provide education, training, and/or assessment to learners at an off-site location.” Our objective in this study was to describe the patterns of telesimulation usage in EM residency programs during COVID-19-induced learning restrictions as well as its anticipated future utility.

Methods: We identified EM simulation leaders via the EMRA Match website, institutional websites, or personal contact with residency coordinators and directors, and invited them to participate by email. Participants completed a confidential, web-based survey consisting of multiple-choice items and one free-response question, developed by our study team with consideration of survey research best practices and Messick’s validity framework. We collected data between January–February 2022. We calculated descriptive statistics for multiple-choice items and examined the free-response answers for common themes.

Results: We obtained contact information for simulation leaders at 139 EM residency programs. Survey response rate was 65% (91/139). During in-person restrictions, 62% (56/91) of programs used telesimulation. Assuming all restrictions lifted, 38% (34/90) of respondents planned to continue to use telesimulation, compared to 9% (8/91) using telesimulation before COVID-19. Most respondents planned to use telesimulation for medical knowledge (26/34, 76%) and communication/teamwork-focused cases (23/34, 68%). In response to the free-response question regarding experience with and plans for use, we identified three major themes: 1) telesimulation is a valuable alternative to in-person learning; 2) telesimulation is an option for learners unable to participate in person; and 3) telesimulation is challenging for procedural education.

Conclusion: Despite the relatively limited use of telesimulation in EM residencies prior to COVID-19, an increased number of programs have plans to continue incorporating telesimulation into their curricula. This plan for continued use opens opportunities for further innovation and scholarship within simulation education.