Gamification of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for simulation training-a feasibility study

Astrid Karina V Harring; Jo Røislien; Karianne Larsen; Mona Guterud; Helge Fagerheim Bugge; Else Charlotte Sandset; Dorte V Kristensen; Maren Ranhoff Hov

doi:10.1186/s41077-023-00245-4

Gamification of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for simulation training-a feasibility study

Adv Simul (Lond). 2023 Feb 22;8(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s41077-023-00245-4.

Authors

Astrid Karina V Harring¹, Jo Røislien^{2

3}, Karianne Larsen², Mona Guterud^{2

4

5}, Helge Fagerheim Bugge^{2

5

6}, Else Charlotte Sandset^{2

6}, Dorte V Kristensen⁷, Maren Ranhoff Hov^{8

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department for Prehospital Education and Research, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 4, St. Olavs plass, Oslo, NO-0130, Norway. astridka@oslomet.no.
² Department of Research and Development, the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Oslo, Norway.
³ Department of Quality and Health Technology, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
⁴ Division of Prehospital Services, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.
⁸ Department for Prehospital Education and Research, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 4, St. Olavs plass, Oslo, NO-0130, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Training prehospital personnel in identifying patients with acute stroke is key to providing rapid treatment. This study aimed to investigate whether game-based digital simulation training is a feasible alternative to standard in-person simulation training.

Methods: Second-year paramedic bachelor students at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway were invited to participate in a study to compare game-based digital simulation (intervention) to standard in-person training (control). For 2 months, students were encouraged to practice the NIHSS, and both groups logged their simulations. Then, they performed a clinical proficiency test, and their results were assessed using a Bland-Altman plot with corresponding 95% limits of agreement (LoA).

Results: Fifty students participated in the study. Individuals in the game group (n = 23) spent an average (SD) of 42:36 min (36) on gaming and performed 14.4 (13) simulations on average, whereas the control group (n = 27) spent 9:28 min (8) simulating and performed 2.5 (1) simulations. Comparing time variables collected during the intervention period, the mean time for each simulated assessment was significantly shorter in the game group (2:57 min vs. 3:50 min, p = 0.004). In the final clinical proficiency test, the mean difference from the true NIHSS score was 0.64 (LoA: - 1.38 to 2.67) in the game group and 0.69 (LoA: - 1.65 to 3.02) in the control group.

Conclusion: Game-based digital simulation training is a feasible alternative to standard in-person simulation training to acquire competence in NIHSS assessment. Gamification seemed to give an incentive to simulate considerably more and to perform the assessment faster, with equal accuracy.

Trial registration: The study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (reference no. 543238).

Keywords: EMS; Education; Gamification; Mobile Application; Neurology; Prehospital; Simulation.