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Endocrine Abstracts (2022) 81 P69 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.81.P69

1University of Birmingham Medical School, Birmingham, United Kingdom; 2Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India; 3Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Ynysmaerdy, United Kingdom; 4West Middlesex University Hospital, London, United Kingdom; 5Medical University - Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 6Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, United Kingdom; 7School of Medicine - University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom; 8University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 9Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom; 10Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research - University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; 11Medical House, Tbilisi, Georgia; 12Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom


Introduction: The delivery of medical education has transformed from in-person to remote teaching, accelerated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Simulation is a useful teaching modality increasingly used to develop healthcare professionals’ knowledge and skills while protecting patients from unnecessary risks. Although simulation has traditionally occurred face-to-face, many of its principles can be adapted for remote teaching. Simulation via Instant Messaging – Birmingham Advance (SIMBA) is a virtual simulation-based learning tool, run by medical students and junior doctors with support from experts, aimed to increase clinician confidence in managing clinical scenarios. We evaluated the effectiveness of SIMBA to improve participants’ confidence and competencies in diabetes and endocrinology.

Methods: Eight sessions were conducted between May 2020 and October 2021 on various endocrine subspecialities (adrenal, thyroid, pituitary, diabetes, metabolic bone, and reproductive). Moderators used standardised transcripts to simulate anonymised, real-life clinical cases via WhatsApp. Following the simulation, specialists chaired interactive Zoom sessions to discuss simulated cases and participant queries. Participants’ self-reported confidence levels in approaching clinical scenarios were measured using a Likert scale, and responses were categorised as confident, unsure, and not confident. Changes in these categories pre- and post-SIMBA were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Improvements in clinical core competencies were also analysed.

Results: 326 international participants completed the pre- and post-SIMBA surveys and were included in the analysis. Significant improvements were observed in clinician confidence following SIMBA (pre- vs post-survey, confident: +40.6%, unsure: -34.3%, not confident: -6.3%; P<0.0001). In addition, 92.6% (n=302/326) participants strongly agreed/agreed that sessions were engaging, while 88.7% (n=289/326) strongly agreed/agreed that SIMBA accommodated their learning style and 80.5% (n=236/293) preferred SIMBA to traditional pedagogy. The overall quality of the sessions was rated as excellent/good by 96.2% (n=282/293) participants. 93.9% (n=306/326) participants strongly agreed/agreed that the simulated topics were applicable to their clinical practice, while 93.9% (n=306/326) and 92.6% (n=302/326) strongly agreed/agreed the content was impactful at personal and professional levels, respectfully. Clinicians reported improvements in core clinical competencies: patient care [56.7% (n=185/326)], patient management [83.4% (n=272/326)], systems-based practice [43.3% (n=141/326)], and practice-based learning [66.9% (n=218/326)].

Conclsion: SIMBA proved to be an effective postgraduate training tool in endocrinology which improved clinician confidence managing various endocrine conditions and was highly accepted among learners. In addition, the ubiquity of online platforms enabled international participation, which transcends geographical and financial barriers and could help standardise endocrine training globally. Further studies are underway to explore the long-term translation of SIMBA to clinical practice.

Volume 81

European Congress of Endocrinology 2022

Milan, Italy
21 May 2022 - 24 May 2022

European Society of Endocrinology 

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