Moving Along: Team Training for Emergency Room Trauma Transfers (T2ERT2)

Objectives To determine whether high fidelity simulation-based training (SBT) of interprofessional teams involving trauma transfers has an immediate impact on participants’ team-based attitudes and behaviors. Design A quasi-experimental, pre-/postintervention comparison design examined high fidelity SBT of inter-professional teams using a 2 scenario format with immediate after action structured debriefing. Pre-/postsession Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS, 19 items, Likert-type) surveys as well as Interprofessional Teamwork (IPT, 15 items, Likert-type) questionnaires, and postscenario participant- and observer-rated Teamwork Assessment Scales (TAS, 3 subscales, 11 items, Likert-type) were completed during each training session. Mean RIPLS, IPT, and TAS scores were calculated and matched pre-/postscore differences compared using paired t-test or analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustment. Setting A large, urban, academic, state health sciences institution in the Southeastern United States during the 2014 to 2015 academic year. Participants General surgery residents, emergency medicine residents, and senior undergraduate nursing students comprising ten interprofessional teams. Results From approximately 48 participants, matched pre-/postsession IPT surveys were available for 42 individuals; 45 had an observer TAS evaluation for both scenarios; and 40 completed TAS peer evaluations for both scenarios. 47 participants had matched RIPLS surveys. Statistically significant improvements in matched pre-/postscore differences occurred for all 15 IPT items. Observer TAS scores significantly improved on 2 of the 3 subscales comparing the second to the first scenario. Peer evaluations statistically improved comparing the second to the first scenario. Two of the 19 RIPLS items demonstrated statistically significant improvement. Conclusions Interprofessional trauma team transfer training using SBT changes attitudes toward key team-based competencies and leads to learning them in the simulated environment. Such improvement in team-based skill and attitudes is an important first step in adopting team-based behaviors in the actual clinical environment and improving transfer care.