High-fidelity simulations at RM SLICE
On June 3, 2013, twenty-one UT DRO trainees took part in a very unique event – Radiation Medicine Simulated Learning in an Interprofessional Collaborative Enviornment which is better known as RM SLICE. This event, the first of its kind world-wide, aimed to expose the trainees to high-fidelity, high impact low acuity clinical situations.
The research team consisted of Principal Investigator Jean-Pierre Bissonnette and Co-Investigators Meredith Giuliani, Nicole Harrnett, Pamela Catton, Douglas Moseley, Caitlin Gillan, and Robert Thompson. This team recognized the importance of interprofessional collaboration in radiation medicine, and the lack of such collaborations in radiation medicine training. Therefore, with the goal of introducing “a team simulation experience which used technological, psychological and emotional fidelity”, they created RM SLICE.
The pilot study took place over one day at Stronach Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket. Dr. Dave Williams, President and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre, welcomed the RM SLICE team and emphasized that simulation environments are important in medicine to improve one’s competency skills, specially in collaborations.
After Dr. Williams’ introduction, the twenty-one trainees were divided into five groups consisting of various areas of expertise including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. Each team was introduced to three high-fidelity cases ranging from 4D CT scans of a lung tumor to dealing with a “stuck source” in brachytherapy.
The goal of this exercise was not to evaluate the participants on their knowledge or judgment, but to evaluate their interactions and interprofessional collaboration to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using high-fidelity simulations in radiation medicine training.
At the end of the day, the trainees felt that with each new case, their communication with others on the team was improving. “We really benefit from learning as a team because there are skills and knowledge that we get from other professions in radiation,” explained Radiation Oncology resident Jonathan Livergant. “This is one of the things that attracted me to oncology in the first place – it is a team effort”.