Feasibility of a Low-Fidelity Pediatric Simulation-Based Continuing Education Curriculum in Rural Alaska

Introduction Simulation-based continuing education (SBCE) is a widely used tool to improve healthcare workforce performance. Healthcare providers working in geographically remote and resource-limited settings face many challenges, including the development and application of SBCE. Here, we describe the development, trial, and evaluation of an SBCE curriculum in an Alaska Native healthcare system with the aim to understand SBCE feasibility and specific limitations. Methods The perceived feasibility and efficacy of incorporating a low-fidelity medical simulation curriculum into this Native Alaskan healthcare system was evaluated by analyzing semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys over a 15-month period (August 2018 - October 2019). Subjects were identified via both convenience and purposive sampling. Included were 40 healthcare workers who participated in the simulation curriculum, three local educators who were trained in and subsequently facilitated simulations, and seven institutional leaders identified as “key informants.” Data included surveys with the Likert scale and dichotomous positive or negative data, as well as a thematic analysis of the qualitative portion of participant survey responses, focus group interviews of educators, and semi-structured interviews of key informants. Based on these data, feasibility was assessed in four domains: acceptability, demand, practicality, and implementation. Results Stakeholders and participants had positive buy-in for SBCE, recognizing the potential to improve provider confidence, standardize medical care, and improve teamwork and communication, all factors identified to optimize patient safety. The strengths listed support feasibility in terms of acceptability and demand. A number of challenges in the realms of practicality and implementation were identified, including institutional buy-in, need for a program champion in a setting of staff high turnover, and practicalities of scheduling and accessing participants working in one system across a vast and remote geographic region. Participants perceived the simulations to be effective and feasible. Conclusion While simulation participants valued an SBCE program, institutional leaders and educators identified veritable obstacles to the practical implementation of a structured program. Given the inherent challenges of this setting, a traditional simulation curriculum is unlikely to be fully feasibly integrated. However, due to the overall demand and social acceptability expressed by the participants, innovative ways to deliver simulation should be developed, trialed, and evaluated in the future.