New Resident Training Strategy Based on Gamification Techniques: An Escape Room on Sepsis in Children

Abstract

Aim: Adapting “escape rooms” for educational purposes is an innovative teaching method. The aim of this study was to ascertain the degree of learning of the residents. A secondary objective was to determine their degree of satisfaction. Methods: A prospective, observational study took place in October 2019. A sepsis-based escape room was designed and carried out. A mix of paediatric medical residents and paediatric nursing residents were enrolled. A prior knowledge test was carried out, which was repeated right at the end of the escape room and then again three months later. Furthermore, all participants completed an anonymous post-study survey. Results: We enrolled 48 residents, 79.2% of whom were women. The mean score for the pre-escape room exam was 7.85/9 (SD 1.65), that for the post-escape room exam was 8.75/9 (SD 0.53), and for the exam three months later, it was 8.30/9 (SD 0.94). Among the participants, 18.8% did not manage to leave before the established 60 min time limit. The results of the satisfaction survey showed high participant satisfaction. Conclusions: The escape room proved to be a valuable educational game that increased students’ knowledge of sepsis management and showed a positive overall perceived value among the participants.

Keywords

• gamification
• escape room
• game-based learning
• simulation
• paediatrics