Exploring cultural sensitivity during distance simulations in pediatric emergency medicine

Jabeen Fayyaz; Margret Jaeger; Prisca Takundwa; Ammarah U Iqbal; Adeel Khatri; Saima Ali; Sama Mukhtar; Syed Ghazanfar Saleem; Travis Whitfill; Inayat Ali; Jonathan P Duff; Suzan Suzie Kardong-Edgren; Isabel Theresia Gross

doi:10.1002/aet2.10908

Exploring cultural sensitivity during distance simulations in pediatric emergency medicine

AEM Educ Train. 2023 Nov 22;7(6):e10908. doi: 10.1002/aet2.10908. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.
² The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada.
³ Pediatric Emergency Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care (PICU), Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada.
⁵ Research Department Education Centre of Social Fund Vienna Vienna Austria.
⁶ Emergency Medicine Indus Hospital and Health Network Karachi Pakistan.
⁷ Department of Public Health and Allied Sciences, Department of Anthropology Fatima Jinnah Women's University Rawalpindi Pakistan.
⁸ Health Professions Education Program, Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation MGH Institute of Health Profession Boston Massachusetts USA.

PMID: 37997591
PMCID: PMC10664395 (available on 2024-11-22)
DOI: 10.1002/aet2.10908

Abstract

Background: Cultural sensitivity (CS) training is vital to pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) curricula. This study aimed to explore CS in Yale PEM fellows and emergency medicine (EM) residents at Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) in Pakistan through distance simulation activities.

Methods: This mixed-methods analysis of an educational intervention was conducted at Yale University in collaboration with IHHN. We approached seven U.S. PEM fellows and 22 Pakistani EM residents. We performed a baseline CS assessment using the Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ). Afterward, the U.S. PEM fellows facilitated the Pakistani EM residents through six distance simulation sessions. Qualitative data were collected through online focus groups. The CCCQ was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and content analysis was used to analyze the data from the focus groups.

Results: Seven U.S. PEM fellows and 18 of 22 Pakistani EM residents responded to the CCCQ at the beginning of the module. The mean (±SD) CCCQ domain scores for the U.S. PEM fellows versus the Pakistani EM residents were 2.56 (±0.37) versus 2.87 (±0.72) for knowledge, 3.02 (±0.41) versus 3.33 (±0.71) for skill, 2.86 (±0.32) versus 3.17 (±0.73) for encounter/situation, and 3.80 (±0.30) versus 3.47 (±0.47) for attitude (each out of 5 points). Our qualitative data analysis showed that intercultural interactions were valuable. There is a common language of medicine among the U.S. PEM fellows and Pakistani EM residents. The data also highlighted a power distance between the facilitators and learners, as the United States was seen as the standard of "how to practice PEM." The challenges identified were time differences, cultural practices such as prayer times, the internet, and technology. The use of local language during debriefing was perceived to enhance engagement.

Conclusion: The distance simulation involving U.S. PEM fellows and Pakistani EM residents was an effective approach in assessing various aspects of intercultural education, such as language barriers, technical challenges, and religious considerations.