Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Our journals
    • Clinical Medicine
    • Future Healthcare Journal
  • Subject collections
  • About the RCP
  • Contact us

Clinical Medicine Journal

  • ClinMed Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
  • Author guidance
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit online
  • About ClinMed
    • Scope
    • Editorial board
    • Policies
    • Information for reviewers
    • Advertising

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
RCP Journals
Home
  • Log in
  • Home
  • Our journals
    • Clinical Medicine
    • Future Healthcare Journal
  • Subject collections
  • About the RCP
  • Contact us
Advanced

Clinical Medicine Journal

clinmedicine Logo
  • ClinMed Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
  • Author guidance
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit online
  • About ClinMed
    • Scope
    • Editorial board
    • Policies
    • Information for reviewers
    • Advertising

Simulation via instant messaging – Birmingham advance (SIMBA): an innovative simulation-based learning model that helped to keep medical education continue during the COVID-19 pandemic

Georgia Morgan, Emma Ooi, Thia Hanania, Meri Davitadze, Dengyi Zhou, Parisha Blaggan, Eka Melson, Wiebke Arlt, Kristien Boelaert, Rachel Cooney, Shri Pathmakanthan, Vinay Reddy-Kolanu, Niki Karavitaki, Cai Ying Ng, Isabel Allison, Wentin Chen, Lucretia Thomas, Nia Evans and Punith Kempegowda
Download PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.21-2-s34
Clin Med March 2021
Georgia Morgan
APrincess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Emma Ooi
BRCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus, Malaysia
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Thia Hanania
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Meri Davitadze
DGeorgia-American Family Medicine Clinic (Medical House), Tbilisi, Georgia
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Dengyi Zhou
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Parisha Blaggan
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Eka Melson
EInstitute of Metabolism and System Research, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Wiebke Arlt
EInstitute of Metabolism and System Research, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kristien Boelaert
FInstitute of Applied Health Research, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rachel Cooney
GQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Shri Pathmakanthan
GQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Vinay Reddy-Kolanu
GQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Niki Karavitaki
EInstitute of Metabolism and System Research, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Cai Ying Ng
BRCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus, Malaysia
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Isabel Allison
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Wentin Chen
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lucretia Thomas
CCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Nia Evans
HRoyal Glamorgan Hospital, Rhondda Cynon Taf, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Punith Kempegowda
EInstitute of Metabolism and System Research, Birmingham, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
Loading

Introduction

In response to COVID-19, the delivery of medical education has largely transitioned from face-to-face teaching to virtual platforms. Simulation-based learning is a useful teaching modality to develop clinicians' knowledge and skills, while protecting patients from harm.1 While simulation has traditionally occurred via face-to-face role play, many of its principles can be adapted for remote learning. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Simulation via Instant Messaging – Birmingham Advance (SIMBA) as a model of virtual simulation-based medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods

Five SIMBA sessions were conducted between May 2020 and August 2020. Each session focused on a particular topic: adrenal pathology, thyroid pathology, pituitary pathology, inflammatory bowel disease and acute medical pathologies. In each session, five standardised transcripts based on real-life anonymised clinical data were used to simulate clinical cases. During the simulation, participants interacted with moderators (mostly medical students) through WhatsApp. For each case, participants were asked to assess the patient as they would in real life and formulate a diagnosis and management plan. This was followed by an interactive discussion session with an expert in their respective field, delivered via Zoom. Detailed methodology for SIMBA was recently published.2 Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to investigate the effect of SIMBA sessions on self-reported confidence levels of participants' approach to clinical scenarios pre- and post-SIMBA on Likert scale. We also analysed the acceptance and relevance of the simulated cases by participants and results are described in frequencies and proportions as appropriate.

Results and discussion

204 participants completed both pre- and post-SIMBA evaluation forms and were included in the analysis. 129 participants were from the UK and 75 participants were from rest of the world. There was a significant improvement in self-reported confidence in participants' approach to the simulated cases (overall (204; p<0.001); adrenal (33; p<0.001); thyroid (37; p<0.001); pituitary (79; p<0.001); inflammatory bowel disease (17; p<0.001); acute medicine (38; p<0.001)). 94.6% (193/204) strongly agreed/agreed the simulated topics were applicable to their clinical practice. 89.7% (183/204) strongly agreed/agreed SIMBA sessions accommodated their personal learning style and 92.6% (189/204) strongly/agreed the sessions were engaging. 94.6% (193/204) and 94.1% (192/204) strongly agreed/agreed the content was impactful at both a personal level and a professional level. Participants felt that SIMBA improved their clinical competencies in the following areas: 52.0% (106/204) patient care, 30.9% (63/204) professionalism, 84.8% (173/204) knowledge on patient management, 48.0% (98/204) systems-based practice, 69.6% (142/204) practice-based learning, 25.5% (52/204) communication skills (Fig 1).

Fig 1.
  • Download figure
  • Open in new tab
  • Download powerpoint
Fig 1.

Change in self-reported confidence levels of participants' approach to various clinical scenarios pre- and post-SIMBA.

Conclusion

SIMBA is an effective virtual teaching model that improved clinicians' confidence in managing various conditions. Participants felt cases were relevant to their clinical practice and suited their personal learning style. Further work is warranted to explore whether increased confidence levels translated to better real-life performance.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

  • © Royal College of Physicians 2021. All rights reserved.

References

  1. ↵
    1. McGaghie WC
    , Issenberg SB, Petrusa ER, et al. A critical review of simulation-based medical education research: 2003–2009. Med Educ 2010;44:50–63.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  2. ↵
    1. Melson E
    , Davitadze M, Aftab M, et al. Simulation via instant messaging – Birmingham advance (SIMBA) model helped improve clinicians' confidence to manage cases in diabetes and endocrinology. BMC Med Educ 2020;20:274.
    OpenUrl
Back to top
Previous articleNext article

Article Tools

Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Citation Tools
Simulation via instant messaging – Birmingham advance (SIMBA): an innovative simulation-based learning model that helped to keep medical education continue during the COVID-19 pandemic
Georgia Morgan, Emma Ooi, Thia Hanania, Meri Davitadze, Dengyi Zhou, Parisha Blaggan, Eka Melson, Wiebke Arlt, Kristien Boelaert, Rachel Cooney, Shri Pathmakanthan, Vinay Reddy-Kolanu, Niki Karavitaki, Cai Ying Ng, Isabel Allison, Wentin Chen, Lucretia Thomas, Nia Evans, Punith Kempegowda
Clinical Medicine Mar 2021, 21 (Suppl 2) 34-35; DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.21-2-s34

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Simulation via instant messaging – Birmingham advance (SIMBA): an innovative simulation-based learning model that helped to keep medical education continue during the COVID-19 pandemic
Georgia Morgan, Emma Ooi, Thia Hanania, Meri Davitadze, Dengyi Zhou, Parisha Blaggan, Eka Melson, Wiebke Arlt, Kristien Boelaert, Rachel Cooney, Shri Pathmakanthan, Vinay Reddy-Kolanu, Niki Karavitaki, Cai Ying Ng, Isabel Allison, Wentin Chen, Lucretia Thomas, Nia Evans, Punith Kempegowda
Clinical Medicine Mar 2021, 21 (Suppl 2) 34-35; DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.21-2-s34
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Introduction
    • Materials and methods
    • Results and discussion
    • Conclusion
    • Conflicts of interest
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • UK trainee perspectives on leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic
  • East Kent IT collaborative for healthcare (E-KITCH) – responding to the pandemic through optimising use of information technology
  • The role of RCP chief registrars in the COVID-19 pandemic response
Show more COVID-19

Similar Articles

FAQs

  • Difficulty logging in.

There is currently no login required to access the journals. Please go to the home page and simply click on the edition that you wish to read. If you are still unable to access the content you require, please let us know through the 'Contact us' page.

  • Can't find the CME questionnaire.

The read-only self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) can be found after the CME section in each edition of Clinical Medicine. RCP members and fellows (using their login details for the main RCP website) are able to access the full SAQ with answers and are awarded 2 CPD points upon successful (8/10) completion from:  https://cme.rcplondon.ac.uk

Navigate this Journal

  • Journal Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Archive

Related Links

  • ClinMed - Home
  • FHJ - Home
clinmedicine Footer Logo
  • Home
  • Journals
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
HighWire Press, Inc.

Follow Us:

  • Follow HighWire Origins on Twitter
  • Visit HighWire Origins on Facebook

Copyright © 2021 by the Royal College of Physicians