# Improving Good Practices for Patient Safety in an Emergency Department Based on Multidisciplinary Training Using Simulation Techniques

## TL;DR

This paper describes how simulation-based training improved patient safety practices in an emergency department through multidisciplinary teamwork and resource management.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the implementation of simulation techniques and critical resource management training to identify and address patient safety issues in emergency departments.

## Key findings

- Simulation workshops identified areas for improvement and led to the development of local protocols for patient safety.
- Cognitive aids and visual tools were incorporated to standardize processes in crisis situations.
- Debriefing with experienced instructors after simulation scenarios helped contextualize and analyze safety recommendations.

## Abstract

Background: We present a multidisciplinary training experience based on simulation techniques and critical resource management implemented in the emergency department. Methods: Simulation courses/workshops were conducted with a multidisciplinary team from the Hospital Emergency Department. The timeline for their development includes a preliminary analysis of needs, objectives, and scenario design, development of the simulation course, and finally, areas of implementation. In this last phase, the teaching team prepares a document and/or report/summary of the activity in which, among other things, the aspects with the greatest capacity for improvement or the areas for implementation of safety measures are determined. A total of 112 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, and care assistants) participated in this training program. Its design consisted of the following stages: a preliminary analysis of training needs, the establishment of objectives and scenario design, the development of the simulation workshop, and finally, a report on areas for improvement in patient safety identified during the workshop learning process. Results: The workshops enabled us to identify areas for improvement and develop local protocols/recommendations aimed at improving patient safety in the emergency department, such as standardizing a protocol to guide us in managing resources in crisis situations, a protocol for airway management, a protocol for massive transfusion, and a review of the triage process. In addition, we added value by incorporating cognitive aids and visual tools into the standardization of processes. Conclusions: For resource management in this type of crisis in the hospital emergency setting, it is essential to use a debriefing process guided by experienced instructors after a specific experiential learning experience through simulation scenarios. This helps to contextualize and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of general recommendations.