Disaster Management Simulation–A Novel Virtual Exercise

Introduction: Disaster management and emergency preparedness relies on the collaboration, communication, expertise of a multidisciplinary team. Skills in preparation, disasters are core competencies an physician. To learn principles disaster management, simulations critical as mass casualty/rapid surge events seldom occur. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted cancellation in-person events. In response to these restrictions, University Toronto, EM Program developed successful virtual interprofessional casualty simulation. Method: novel online simulation event was piloted 2021 ran for three-hours. exercise focused developing soft skills (e.g., team-work, debriefing) hard triage, distribution, activation plans). Groups were composed members each post-graduate year facilitate near-peer learning. A total six groups formed: Adult, Children, Community Hospitals, EMS, Government, Media. Each Team used multiple communication tools (i.e., Whatsapp groups, Zoom breakout rooms, Shared Google Documents) swiftly pivot manage event. Post-exercise debriefing anonymous evaluations gathered. Results: 28-residents (nine PGY1, ten PGY2, eight PGY3 learners) 11-staff observers participated (25-respondents). Nineteen participants rated excellent “very good”. Twenty workshop useful” five “useful”. Positive feedback centered around content applicability, creativity, level engagement, learning value. Constructive included need more pre-exercise orientation time, increasing inviting allied-health staff. Conclusion: There is clear residents develop related preparedness. This showed that can be learned format. format has encouraged its continuation further inspired curation four-year program.