The Effect of a Simulation-based Intervention on Emergency Medicine Resident Management of Early Pregnancy Loss
Abstract
Background: The evaluation of patients with first-trimester vaginal bleeding and concern for early pregnancy loss (EPL) frequently occurs in the emergency department (ED), accounting for approximately 1.6% of all ED visits. Unfortunately, these patients consistently report negative experiences with ED care. In addition to environmental concerns, such as long wait times, patients often describe negative interactions with staff, including a perceived lack of empathy, the use of insensitive language, and inadequate counseling. These patients and their partners often view EPL as a traumatic loss of life and commonly experience prolonged grief reactions, including anxiety and depression. Poor satisfaction with care has been associated with worse mental health outcomes. These complaints represent an important opportunity for improvement in emergency medicine (EM) training. While no published literature to date describes the performance of EM residents in managing patients presenting with EPL, studies suggest that even obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents find these interactions challenging. Simulation- and didactic-based training has been shown to be beneficial in improving OB/GYN resident EPL counseling and has been associated with improved patient outcomes. To our knowledge, this has yet to be replicated in EM residency training.