PURPOSE
Medical students often express confusion about the application of medical
ethics and struggle to answer board-style questions related to this subject.
As a result, an escape room was developed to teach this material to
osteopathic medical students. A literature review revealed no publications on
the use of escape rooms for medical ethics content; this session will
describe the purpose, development, and implementation of this approach.
METHODS
A needs assessment was performed by reviewing board performance with the
Director of Curriculum and identifying specific ethics topics where students
struggle/express confusion. Resources (including time/space) were assessed;
the escape room was scheduled in 1-hour sessions with 7-9 students per group.
Four identical rooms ran simultaneously, and the students were allowed 30
minutes to “escape” and then completed a 25 minute debrief. Based on the
allotted timing, 4 puzzles were designed which tied to a central patient
case; these puzzles involved autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and
informed consent. ChatGPT was utilized to brainstorm general puzzle ideas and
then a cohesive story (including a patient chart and other props) was
designed. During the debrief, all puzzles and ethical principles involved
were reviewed.
RESULTS
167 students completed the escape room and provided feedback. The
gamification approach appeared to be an effective learning strategy which was
enjoyed by participants. Students were engaged during the debrief and asked
insightful questions regarding ethical principles and their application in
patient care.
CONCLUSION
The use of an escape room to teach medical ethics encouraged active
participation while stimulating curiosity. As a result, the activity will
continue and be refined each year. Specific outcome measures will be used in
the future to assess the impact of this intervention on the application of
ethical principles.