Point-of-Care Ultrasound Escape Rooms: Gamification of Ultrasound Education in Physician Assistant Students.

Abstract

Introduction: Gamification can augment the quality of medical training. Escape rooms have been used to achieve positive outcomes in similar scenarios. This study assessed the efficacy of escape rooms on knowledge acquisition, confidence, motivation to learn, and perceived value of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with physician assistant (PA) students with or without previous experience.

Methods: Physician assistant students at a single institution participated in one of 2 escape room formats (single escape room or series escape room) based on their time and exposure to ultrasound in their education. Participants completed presurvey and postsurvey to assess motivation to learn and confidence with ultrasound.

Results: Single escape room: Confidence with (median difference of 1.0 [W = 162, exact 2-tailed P = 0.0005]) and motivation to learn (median difference of 0.0 [W = 124, exact 2-tailed P = 0.0078]) ultrasound significantly increased. Series escape room: There was an increase in confidence with ultrasound (χ2(3) = 47.58; P < 0.0001). There was significantly higher confidence following the second (P = 0.0008) and third escape room (P < 0.0001) compared with the first escape room. There was no change in motivation to learn ultrasound (χ2(3) = 5.53, P = 0.14) or value of ultrasound (χ2(3) = 3.00, P = 0.39). In both formats, 100% of participants stated escape rooms would be a way they would want to learn ultrasound.

Discussion: Regardless of previous education, escape rooms increase participant confidence with POCUS topics. In experienced participants, motivation to learn POCUS increased. Escape rooms are a creative, viable format for POCUS education specifically in PA students.