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The Effect of Novel Decision Support Tools on Technical and Non-Technical Performance of Teams in Managing Emergencies

  • Education & Training
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Abstract

Cognitive aids have been shown to facilitate adherence to evidence-based guidelines and improve technical performance of teams when managing simulated critical events. Few studies have explored the effect of cognitive aids on non-technical skills, such as teamwork and communication. The current study sought to explore the effects of different decision support tools (DST), a type of cognitive aid, on the technical and non-technical performance of teams. The current study represents a randomized, blinded, control trial of the effects of three versions of an electronic DST on team performance during multiple simulations of perioperative emergencies. The DSTs included a version with only technical information, a version with only non-technical information and a version with both technical and non-technical information. The technical performance of teams was improved when they used the technical DST and the combined technical and non-technical DST when compared to memory alone. The technical performance of teams was significantly worse when using the non-technical DST. All three versions of the DST had a negligible effect on the non-technical performance of teams. The technical performance of teams in the current study was affected by different versions of a DST, yet there was no effect on the teams’ non-technical performance. The use of a DST, including those that focused on non-technical information, did not impact the non-technical performance of the teams.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the staff of the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA) at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine for their contributions in developing, conducting and recording the simulated perioperative events.

Funding

Support for this study was provided by a research grant from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (01/2014 to 08/2015). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA

    Scott C. Watkins

  2. Department of Surgery, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Getulio R. de Oliveira Filho

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Cory M. Furse & Amanda T. Redding

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Matthew K. Muffly, R. J. Ramamurthi & Birgit Maass

  5. Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Matthew D. McEvoy

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  1. Scott C. Watkins
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  2. Getulio R. de Oliveira Filho
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  3. Cory M. Furse
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  4. Matthew K. Muffly
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  5. R. J. Ramamurthi
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  6. Amanda T. Redding
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  8. Matthew D. McEvoy
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Correspondence to Scott C. Watkins.

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Watkins, S.C., de Oliveira Filho, G.R., Furse, C.M. et al. The Effect of Novel Decision Support Tools on Technical and Non-Technical Performance of Teams in Managing Emergencies. J Med Syst 46, 75 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-022-01866-4

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