Summary Statement
Psychological stress arises from a stressor placed on an individual that leads to both emotional and physiological responses. The latter is referred to as psychophysiological stress. Healthcare simulation provides a platform to investigate stress psychobiology and its effects on learning and performance. However, psychophysiological stress measures may be underused in healthcare simulation research. The inclusion of such measures with subjective measures of stress in healthcare simulation research provides a more complete picture of the stress response, thereby furthering the understanding of stress and its impact on learning and performance. The goals of this article were to review 2 commonly used psychophysiological stress measures involving heart rate variability and electrodermal activity reflecting sweat gland activity and to demonstrate their utility in an example pilot study in healthcare simulation research.
The SAGAT is a valid, reliable tool for assessing surgical trainee SA. Information provided by the SAGAT can help diagnose team performance problems, inform debriefing discussion points, and inform curriculum development endeavors.
Introduction
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) difficult airway algorithm and the Vortex approach are difficult airway aids. Our objective was to demonstrate that a simpler cognitive model would facilitate improved decision-making during a process such as difficult airway management. We hypothesized the simpler Vortex approach would be associated with less anxiety and task load.
Methods
Medical students were randomized to the ASA algorithm (n = 33) or Vortex approach (n = 34). All learned basic airway techniques on day 1 of their rotation. Next, they watched a video of their respective aid then managed a simulated airway crisis. We assessed decision-making using a seven-point airway management score and a completeness score. Completeness was at least one attempt at each of four techniques (mask ventilation, supraglottic airway, intubation, and cricothyrotomy). Two validated tools, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index, were used to assess anxiety and task load.
Results
Students in the Vortex group had higher airway management scores [4.0 (interquartile range = 4.0 to 5.0) vs. 4.0 (3.0 to 4.0), P = 0.0003] and completeness (94.1% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.003). In the ASA group, the means (SD) of National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index scores of 55 or higher were observed in mental [61.4 (14.4)], temporal [62.3 (22.9)], and effort [57.1 (15.6)] domains. In the Vortex group, only the temporal load domain was 55 or higher [mean (SD) = 57.8 (25.4)]. There was no difference in anxiety.
Conclusions
Medical students perform better in a simulated airway crisis after training in the simpler Vortex approach to guide decision-making. Students in the ASA group had task load scores indicative of high cognitive load.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.