“Building the plane as you fly”: Simulation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Timothy Chaplin, Tamara McColl, Andrew Petrosoniak, Andrew K. Hall
Abstract
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging our Canadian emergency departments (EDs) in unparalleled ways. As part of the frontline response, EDs have had to adapt to the unique clinical difficulties associated with the constant threat of COVID-19, developing protocols and pathways in the setting of limited and evolving information. In addition to the disruption of routine clinical care practices, an underlying perception of danger has resulted in a challenging clinical environment in which to make time-sensitive, high-stakes decisions. This has created an urgent need for targeted and adaptive training for all members of the emergency medicine healthcare team. The following commentary reflects the perspective of four emergency medicine simulation educators during the Canadian response to COVID-19. Recognizing that local needs and resources will vary, we highlight three key roles that simulation can play in the adaptive response to COVID-19: protocol development and system testing, provider education, and team-based training. The disruption to our practice as a result of COVID-19 has required us to "build the plane as we fly," and we believe simulation to be a key tool in this process.