Research

Carolinas Simulation Center’s research team conducts both basic and applied research using a variety of techniques. Our team has access to a variety of clinical subspecialties and patient care settings. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we seek to advance research in simulation, education, and patient safety. Currently, our research focus is on evaluating and improving virtual simulation education.

Research Initiatives Spotlight

Influence of Socioeconomic Bias on Emergency Medicine Resident Decision-making and Patient Care

Gretchen Hoelscher, MS, and Mark Bullard, MD, MS-HPEd recently published a study in the journal, Simulation in Healthcare, which focused on disparities in physician decision-making among patients of varying socioeconomic status (SES). The results of this study were eye-opening in the sense that while emergency medicine (EM) residents did recognize the variation in patient SES, it did not alter their course of treatment. However, three themes regarding clinical decision-making were uncovered 1) overt diagnostic focus, 2) discharge planning, and 3) risk and exposure. The overt focus on diagnosing the patient may be a result of the emergency department (ED) environment. Discharge planning as well as risk and exposure were found to be important considerations of the EM residents as they tried to tailor the recommended care for each patient. By examining other environments, we can determine if these results are isolated to the ED or span into other departments.

Does the Use of a Debrief Tool Significantly Improve DASH^® Scores for Facilitators in a Nursing Program Over Time: A Longitudinal Study

Nurse Educators Patricia Campbell, MSN, RN and Jennifer Noble, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CEN, CHSE created the Systematic Approach for Nurse Debriefing (StAND) tool with the purpose of providing a generalizable and simple tool for improving quality of post-scenario debriefs. This research will assess the impact of the StAND tool on Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) scores over time. Results of this study will be used to improve the quality of simulation debriefs, and to further best practices in simulation education.

Pelvic Model Research

Erinn Myers, MD and Megan Tarr, MD recognized there was a gap in surgical education for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellows. To fill this gap, a multi-disciplinary collaborative team was formed to create simulated models for pelvic reconstruction surgeries. The first model created was for a Sacrocolpopexy procedure, which is a technique for repairing pelvic organ prolapse. The simulation center team created the soft tissue reusable portions for the models. Brittany Anderson-Montoya, PhD, Human Factors Specialist designed and implemented the validation metrics for model assessment. The model was presented at the American Urogynecologic Society conference for validation and feedback was positive. Additional models for other procedures are being created.

Request Research

If you have a research request, please complete and submit the Research Request Form to Stephanie Loomer.