Out-BREAK!: An IDWeek 2023 Escape Room to Break Out of the Educational Mold.

Background: An escape room is a cooperative game that has been adapted into medical education and major academic conferences.
Methods: We describe the design, development, and implementation of an educational ID-themed escape room activity entitled "Out-BREAK!" at an international conference, IDWeek 2023. An anonymous survey was conducted to collect demographic data, assess participant satisfaction with the escape room puzzles, and gauge participant interest in game-based learning.
Results: Thirty escape room sessions were held over 3 days and included 201 participants. Escape room survey respondents (n = 132) were younger and more likely to be trainees compared with in-person IDWeek attendants. Among 131 responses, all respondents enjoyed the experience and would recommend the escape room activity to friends. Survey respondents enjoyed the puzzle solving (93%), medical content (92%), and team building (79%) components. Only 35% of the respondents had ever previously participated in game-based learning; 95% thought the escape room was a valuable teaching method. Among the 72 survey respondents involved in medical education, almost all (90%) said they were interested in incorporating escape rooms into medical education.
Conclusions: The Out-BREAK! escape room at IDWeek 2023 was successfully implemented and well received. Despite only a third of participants having prior experience with game-based learning, almost all respondents perceived the escape room to be an effective teaching method.
Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. D.Z., S.D., V.T.C., N.G., K.L., J.B.S., E.H.R., A.B., J.B., and P.P. report no conflicts of interest.
(© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)