O10 Simulation from a distance. an online simulation programme for final year medical students

Abstract

Introduction COVID19 has significantly impacted undergraduate medical education. At Hull York Medical School, the elective period for fifth-year students was cancelled and a seven-week online distance learning course was developed and initiated, focusing on key learning outcomes. Our aim was to incorporate live simulation to add an interactive element to online fifth-year teaching. Methods We wrote and recorded immersive 360-degree scenarios tailored to learning outcomes for the week. These focused on the assessment, investigation, and management of an unwell patient. The scenarios were delivered as small group teaching sessions through online meeting software weekly for seven weeks. Clinical teaching fellows guided sessions, encouraging participation, the application of knowledge and progression of clinical reasoning. Quantitative and qualitative feedback was collected after every session and pre/post course evaluation was conducted. A Likert scale from 1 to 5 was used to subjectively assess student’s confidence in the assessment and management of acutely unwell patients. Results The number of students participating in the online simulation course ranged from 127 to 149; 84 to 136 completed the surveys each week. 95.8% of students reported virtual simulation as a beneficial form of learning. Of those, 60.4% stated virtual simulations complemented other forms of teaching and 39.6% felt that simulations were more beneficial. Mean confidence rating improved from 3.52 to 4.12 for assessment and 2.89 to 3.68 for management of acutely unwell patients (p-value Discussion and Conclusion Online simulation was a valuable learning resource to final year medical students at the Hull York Medical School during their distance learning block. It improved the student’s confidence in the assessment and management of acutely unwell patients and provided an interactive educational experience that helped prepare them for hospital placements. Delivering simulation in small groups online is a novel teaching method that can be used in line with social distancing measures and can be developed further for both undergraduate and postgraduate education.