In-person Versus Online Debriefing in HBB

In-person Versus Online Debriefing in the Simulation Sessions of the Helping Babies Breathe Course: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of online formative feedback and debriefing on nursing and medical students enrolled in the HBB course in comparison to traditional face-to-face feedback. The working hypothesis is that online feedback and debriefing during hands-on training sessions are as effective as face-to-face feedback and debriefing in teaching clinical skills to medical and nursing students.

Online learning has become an integral part of education, especially during the ongoing COVID19 pandemic that has imposed a limit on live interactions. This observation holds true in the medical education system which uses the flipped classroom model to teach essential practical skills. Studies have shown that this model is associated with improved learning and student satisfaction. In such a model, debriefing and feedback comprise a main part of the teaching process, and these interactions are usually conducted in person. One helpful skill offered to nursing and medical students is Helping Babies Breathe (HBB), which is an evidence-based educational program training first-line birth attendants to initiate effective resuscitation of a newborn in the first minute of life. The investigators propose to incorporate online feedback as part of the HBB course at the American University of Beirut. In this non-inferiority randomized controlled trial, the investigators will study the effectiveness of online formative feedback and debriefing on nursing and medical students enrolled in the HBB course in comparison to traditional face-to-face feedback. The working hypothesis is that internet-based live feedback and debriefing are as effective as face-to-face interactions when teaching clinical skills to nursing and medical students. This work will aid in developing a reliable online curriculum that can be extrapolated to other courses and institutions, thus broadening the reach of medical education in the times of physical distancing.

Participants in this group will practice the skills taught as above but in the presence of the same certified instructor who will guide them throughout all the steps of HBB using a virtual platform (Webex® or Zoom®).

Participants in this group will practice the skills taught in the virtual class on the neonatal mannequin. They are expected to work as a small group of 3 to 4 at a time. They will receive coaching, debriefing and feedback from a certified instructor who will conduct the traditional in-person training with face-to-face feedback and debriefing.

The OSCE of all participants will be videotaped without showing any identifier. Grading of the OSCE will be done by an independent instructor blinded to group assignments. OSCE is graded over 100. Grades equal of higher than 80% are considered for passing.

A questionnaire accompanied with a standardized Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare Student Version will be used.

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