Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Simulation via Instant Messaging – Birmingham Advance (SIMBA) is a virtual simulation-based medical training model that improves clinicians’ confidence. However, it has lacked input from patients living with these conditions. Engaging patients and members of the public in the formulation and discussion of cases could guide clinicians to tailor management to meet the concerns and expectations of patients better.

Method: A two-day conference took place on 27 and 28 September 2023. Nine reproductive endocrinology cases, focussing on PCOS (two cases), Thyroid disease, Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, Menopause, Azoospermia, Opiate induced hypogonadism, Idiopathic hypogonadism and Kallman syndrome, were simulated over the two days via Whatsapp in real-time. Real patient cases, anonymised to maintain confidentiality, were used to formulate these scenarios. Members of the general public living with these conditions were recruited from several support groups to partake in a workshop-style discussion to provide their opinions on how representative the cases were and how the management of the condition could be improved. Following the simulated cases, the content was discussed by expert speakers, each a specialist in various aspects of reproductive endocrinology. This discussion was interactive so that participants could ask questions and clarify doubts. Pre- and post-SIMBA surveys were sent to participants to evaluate self-perceived improvement in confidence and ACGME Core Competencies, as well as perceptions surrounding SIMBA. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of these responses was undertaken using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and thematic analysis of the open-ended questions respectively.

Results: In total, 29 participants completed both the pre- and post-session surveys. Overall, participants’ self-reported confidence of simulated cases significantly increased from 36.54% to 88.62% on Day 1 (n=16) and from 36.54% to 84.62% on Day 2 (n=13) post-session (P<0.0001). Self-reported improvements in ACGME Core Competencies were seen in most participants, with 100% (n=29) in knowledge of patient management, system-based practice and practice-based learning, and 96.55% (n=28/29) in patient care and professionalism. 100% (n=29) of participants rated the session as excellent or good and 93% (n=27/29) would attend future sessions. Thematic analysis of open-ended questions revealed clinicians’ improvements in clinical knowledge and communication skills.

Conclusion: Patient involvement in SIMBA effectively improved clinicians’ confidence in reproductive endocrinological scenarios. Implementing SIMBA in larger-scale studies will determine the long-term effectiveness of simulation-based learning in reproductive endocrinology.