Role of simulation as a teaching-learning tool for interns

Background: Simulation is a realistic representation of real-world dynamics or processes that reflect or parallel patient scenarios. Simulation-based medical education enables knowledge, skills and attitudes to be acquired by all health-care professionals. It has been widely adopted as a training and assessment tool in medical education. The aim of the study was to compare simulation-based versus apprenticeship-based teaching-learning tool on patient. Patients and Methods: In this prospective randomised interventional study, 30 interns were randomly assigned to perform laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubations (L and EI) on patients (Group 1) or on an airway mannequin (Group 2) up to 5 times over 3 successive days. Following this, all interns regardless of their group allocation performed up to 10 intubations on patients. They were assessed and scored by two observers using a rating scale and every attempt scored as 'Success' (1 point) or 'Failure' (0 point). Average scores of intubations of two groups were compared using the paired t -test. Results: Average scores of intubations on 10 patients by two independent observers were 6.220 (standard deviation [SD] 1.1428) in Group 1 and 7.147 (SD 0.6520) in Group 2 and 6.307 (SD 1.1317) in Group 1 and 7.193 (SD 0.6170) in Group 2, respectively ( P = 0.012 and 0.014 for Observers A and B, respectively). The score of attempt 1 and attempt 10 was observed by a single observer between groups, and significant difference ( P = 0.021) was found at attempt 1 between groups with the mannequin group scoring better. At attempt 10, there was no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: The mannequin group acquired better skills in airway management with respect to L and EI.