VCOM Louisiana Research Day Program Book 2024

Education, Simulation and Best Practices

61 UTILIZING GAMIFICATION TO TEACH PAIN MANAGEMENT: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STUDY

James Colquitt, PhD; Sara Carroll, OMS-III; Chaitanya Surakanti, OMS-III; VCOM-Louisiana

Background: Pain management is viewed as a largely subjective field with much variability in providers’ approaches. Prior research in the field of pain management indicates a knowledge deficit in pain management among practitioners. A study published in 2017 found that 60.8% of providers surveyed reported a lack of confidence when it came to treating chronic pain (Pearson). A pan-European survey conducted in 2016 showed that 86% of providers evaluated consider pain management to be one of the most challenging aspects of healthcare (Johnson). These studies and many others call to attention the need for the incorporation of pain management into medical education, and provide the reasoning for this study. While medical education takes many forms, the emergence of games as a learning tool for students is a rapidly growing field. A landscape review conducted in 2016 evaluated the utility of games in medical education and found that the gamification of medical education can promote learning by increasing engagement, collaboration, and clinical decision making abilities in a simulated environment (McCoy). However, more research is needed to establish the efficacy of gamification of medical education. This is another area of research that this study can help augment. Objective: This project will be guided by three research questions: What proven treatment modalities exist for the most common acute and chronic pain conditions? 1. What game format could best maximize learner experience in addressing different modalities of pain management?

2. How might the game be improved upon to improve the player’s knowledge or confidence in caring for patients in pain? Methods: This project will follow an iterative design approach to create a game intended to improve player knowledge in the area of pain management. Using the format that will best maximize learner experience, a game will be developed that will focus on the most common causes of acute and chronic pain. Treatment modalities will be research-based and clinically proven and will focus on providing maximum patient benefit while minimizing use of prescription opioids. The phases of the project will be: 1. Background research – Information will be collected from the CDC, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine to determine accepted treatments to differing pain conditions 2. Game development – The game will be developed, including pain cards, treatment cards, and distractor cards to simulate possible real-life scenarios. A rule card will be formulated to guide players through how to play the game. 3. Quality improvement – The game will be play tested by researchers to determine areas of weakness or areas that need improvement, and the necessary changes will be made. Results: We determined through background

research that the most effective format for a game of this caliber was a card game. The rules developed are as follows: 1 moderator, 2+ players • Moderator reads HPI card • Each player puts down their tx face down • Moderator reads tx, decides which is better after risk/benefit analysis

• If tie — group discussion • Winner keeps HPI card • Most HPI cards at end wins

Distractor cards exist to be played at any time, and can be used either for self-protection or against the move of an opponent. All cards developed were based on current recommendations from the CDC, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, as well as peer-reviewed research studies. Conclusions: From this study, we were able to conclude that the most effective way to teach pain management was through the use of a card game. This card game encourages out-of-the-box thinking, as well as frequent risk-benefit analysis for treatment plans. It enforces current guidelines for pain management, and offers alternative options that may help reduce the prescribing of chronic pain medications, such as opioids, in the future. Further studies will be required to determine how the game performs with real-life students and healthcare professionals.

85 2024 Via Research Recognition Day