Background: Video-assisted debriefing (VAD) combined with the advocacy and inquiry (A&I) technique is a tool that allows video playback of selected segments of a simulation, thereby helping the debriefers structure the session. However, no consensus exists on how to optimally perform a team debriefing. The authors demonstrate and describe the methodology of A&I debriefing in an instructional simulated blast scenario and assess the impact of VAD on residents' technical and nontechnical skills.
Methods: After institutional review board approval, the authors performed a study with 50 residents who were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Group 1 (control, or no VAD; n = 25) consisted of residents who received oral debriefing by 1 independent faculty member without the recorded video of the simulation. Group 2 (intervention, or VAD; n = 25) consisted of residents who received VAD from the second independent faculty member. These residents repeated the same simulation scenario 1 week after their debrief. Every resident was assessed on the primary and secondary survey, as well as the nontechnical skills, based on the integrated skills score.
Results: The VAD group presented significantly higher values for the integrated skills score ( P < 0.001) compared with the no-VAD group.
Conclusions: This demonstration of 3-phase VAD emphasizes important aspects of coherent simulation-based training: psychologic safety, A&I, reflection, cognitive frames, prebrief, main debrief, summary, and translation of new discoveries to real-life patient care. The unique audiovisual aspect of the VAD enhanced residents' performance in simulation.
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