Relation of clinical context to accuracy of simulator-based blood pressure measurement by first-year medical students.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the association between clinical contexts and accuracy of manikin blood pressure readings by first-year medical students after first Simulation-Based-Education training.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study, in controlled simulation settings, was comprised of 121 first-year medical student participants after their first Simulation-Based-Education training. Divided into three groups (n = 39, 42 and 40), participants measured blood pressure on three simulator arms assigned different clinical contexts: healthy young male, young female with hypotension, and elderly male with hypertension and diabetes. Each group performed the same protocol on three different days. A Chi-squared test was performed for between-day and between-case differences of correct answers, and one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons was performed for manikin-settings deviation (reported Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) - set SBP) among cases.

RESULTS

The proportion of correct answers of on Day Two was significantly lower than on the other two days (χ2(2, N = 285) = 0.34, p = .84), but roughly comparable among cases (χ2(2, N = 285) = 24.07, p < .001). The mean of the differences of (SBPreported - SBPset) of Case Two (M = -6.68, SD = 8.91) was significantly lower than Case One (M = -3.07, SD = 9.11) and Three (M = -1.63, SD = 7.76) (F (2, 274) = 8.68, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although no statistical associations were found between clinical contexts and student performance in blood pressure measurement, student familiarity with diseases may be associated with performance in taking blood pressure. Day Two performance underscores the need to promote student confidence in diagnostic skills.