Simulation-Based Pediatric Interprofessional Team Training to Facilitate End-of-Life Discussions

Background: This report evaluates the effectiveness of a live in-person pediatric Advance Care Planning (ACP) simulation for an interprofessional team of learners, and the impact of its conversion to an online format. Methods: Participants included social work graduate students, spiritual care residents, undergradu-ate nursing students, and resident physicians in pediatrics. Learners were evaluated with the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS), the Self-Efficacy for Interprofessional Experiential Learning (SEIEL) survey, and a set of open-ended questions. Results: In-person and online formats yielded equivalent significant improvements in quantitative measures from pre-to postsimulation. Participants in both formats found the most helpful aspects of the simulations were the experience of interprofessional collaborations and the realism of the scenarios. Conclusions: Despite advantages of in-person interactions, an online platform provided similar ben-efits. With greater access for offsite participants, such an approach could facilitate dissemination of longitudinal training to improve communication skills and the use of ACP.