Abstract
Introduction: This study investigates the effectiveness of Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) in preparing medical students for the AAMC's entrustable professional activity of airway management. The best simulation training technique for airway management remains unknown. RCDP is well-suited for simulation-based sequential and algorithmic tasks.
Methods: Sixty-seven second-year medical students participated in three one-hour sessions on Airway Management and IV Induction into Anesthesia. They were randomly assigned to control or test groups, practicing under traditional RCDP or RCDP+ Zeigarnik-Ovsiankina phenomenon (ZOP) learning methods, respectively. The control group completed the entire attempt before debriefing, while the test group restarted immediately after the first mistake.
Results: The test group showed accelerated early learning. The RCDP+ZOP group reached proficiency in airway management with fewer day-one trials than the control group (p = 0.004). Yet, on day two, the test group needed more attempts than the control group (p = 0.001). Both groups demonstrated high proficiency (98.0% CI = 0.8% accuracy) on day 3, indicating robust long-term retention.
Conclusions: Both traditional RCDP and RCDP+ZOP are effective for short-term and long-term retention of airway management and IV induction skills. Differences in knowledge acquisition rates between the test and control groups are complex and may be attributed to the Zeigarnik-Ovsiankina phenomenon positively impacting short-term acquisition but negatively affecting mid-term retention or the “no universal pattern” theory. This research highlights the evolving demands on medical graduates and the potential of simulation-based RCDP to meet these expectations.
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Recommended Citation
Kim Sawtelle KR, Guymon AL, Kozmenko V. Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice and the Zeigarnik-Ovsiankina Phenomenon as a Method of Learning and Achieving Long-term Retention of Airway Management – A Longitudinal Observational Study. Aesculapius. 2024 Dec 31; 5(1):Article 9. Available from: https://red.library.usd.edu/aesculapius/vol5/iss1/9. Free full text article.