Escape Room Education in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care- an original article

Background Escape Room is a team game in which players cooperatively discover clues and solve puzzles to progress and complete a specific goal in a limited amount of time. Escape rooms have gained popularity as an educational tool in different fields of medicine. Aim This manuscript reports our experience using escape rooms as part of the clinical training of medical students in anesthesia and intensive care. Methods Twenty medical students (4 groups) completed two different escape room scenarios. The content was based on the knowledge and skills taught during the rotation, patient safety and teamwork. Participants answered feedback questionnaires after each escape room. Results Questions assessed by the feedback questionnaire targeted the general satisfaction of course participants, the learning and self-assessment of participants, and teamwork and communication. Overall, all participants gave high to very high scores on all assessed questions, mean scores ranging from 4.3-5. All three questions in the general satisfaction category achieved a slightly lower mean score after the second escape room (p > 0.05). Questions targeting whether participants had equal opportunities to practice (p > 0.05)., express their opinions (p > 0.05), or practice their practical skills (p < 0.01) were also scored lower after the second escape room. Conclusion We describe the design, execution, and participants' feedback of an escape room training practice for medical students during clinical rotations in anesthesia and intensive care. It was perceived as a positive and novel experience. Students agreed it is an appropriate format to practice and assess taught knowledge, however, concerns were raised that it is not suitable for assessing an individual participant rather than a team. In the supplementary material to this article, we provide a guide as to how such an escape room can be realized for educators to use and adapt to their local requirements free of charge.