MP17: Education innovation: A tool to teach consultation skills using rapid cycle deliberate practice

Abstract

Innovation Concept: Consultation skills (the collaborator role) are key for safe and effective Emergency Medicine practice. The tool described uses educational techniques familiar to Emergency Physicians and residents (rapid cycle deliberate practice and focused debriefing) to incorporate teaching of this skill into on-shift clinical teaching of Emergency Medicine residents. Methods: We searched the literature for consultation teaching methods. We developed a tool to teach consultation as part of on-shift clinical teaching using pedagogical concepts familiar to Emergency Medicine residents, rapid cycle deliberate practice and focused debriefing. The developed tool has three phases; 1) Introduction to a framework for good consultation skills, 2) Managing push-back and understanding competing frames of reference and 3) Direct observation and feedback on the actual consultation. The tool is designed to be used during a clinical shift. Over a series of consecutive cycles the resident refines a consultation and is eventually directly observed during the actual interaction with a consultant. Curriculum, Tool or Material: For each of the three phases the tool provides a framework for the preceptor to use to guide the presentation and discussion. During phases 1 and 2 the resident will present the consultation a number of times and the preceptor will provide focused debriefing allowing the presentation to be refined and optimized. During phase 3 the preceptor provides direct observation of the actual consultation followed by focused debriefing. Phase 1: Focuses on understanding the learners current skill level and presents a framework for a high quality consultation. Phase 2: Introduces the concept of competing frames of reference and push-back and patient centred strategies for managing this situation. Phase 3: The actual consultation interaction between resident and consultant is observed and debriefed. Conclusion: Consultation skills are important in the day to day practice of Emergency Medicine but rarely the subject of specific teaching. The tool presented can be used during clinical shifts to teach consultation skills using pedagogy familiar to both Emergency Physicians adEM residents.