Background
In the US military, it is common for health care teams to be formed ad hoc and expected
to function cohesively as a unit. Poor team dynamics decreases the effectiveness of
trauma care delivery. The US Navy Fleet Surgical Team Three has developed a simulation-based
trauma initiative—the Shipboard Surgical Trauma Training (S2T2) Course—that emphasizes
team dynamics to improve the delivery of trauma care to the severely injured patient.
Methods
The S2T2 Course combines classroom didactics with hands-on simulation over a period
of 6 days, culminating in a daylong, mass casualty scenario. Each resuscitation team
was initially evaluated with a simulated trauma resuscitation scenario then retested
on the same scenario after completing the course. A written exam was also administered
individually both before and after the course. A survey was administered to assess
the participants' perceived effectiveness of the course on overall team training.
Results
From the evaluation of 20 resuscitation teams made up of 123 medical personnel, there
was a decrease in the mean time needed to perform the simulated trauma resuscitation,
from a mean of 24.4 minutes to 13.5 minutes (P < .01), a decrease in the mean number of critical events missed, from 5.15 to 1.00
(P < .01), and a mean improvement of 41% in written test scores. More than 90% of participants
rated the course as highly effective for improving team dynamics.
Conclusion
A team-based trauma course with immersion in a realistic environment is an effective
tool for improving team performance in trauma training. This approach has high potential
to improve trauma care and patient outcomes. The benefits of this team-based course
can be adapted to the civilian rural sector, where gaps have been identified in trauma
care.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 24, 2016
Accepted:
March 25,
2016
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
