Name
#85 Evaluating Team Performance and Simulation-Based Readiness of Personnel Assigned to Expeditionary Medical Teams at the Navy Trauma Training Center
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
Navy
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe how the Navy Trauma Training Center (NTTC) curriculum integrates high fidelity simulation, perfused tissue labs, clinical immersion, and mass casualty drills to prepare Navy Medical personnel assigned to Expeditionary Medical (EXMED) platforms for operational deployment.
2. Interpret objective performance metrics such as time to first blood transfusion and time to operating room decision that assess changes in multidisciplinary team coordination across repeated simulation scenarios.
3. Evaluate how subjective measures of trainee confidence and perceived course effectiveness complement objective simulation data when assessing overall team readiness and cohesion.
2. Interpret objective performance metrics such as time to first blood transfusion and time to operating room decision that assess changes in multidisciplinary team coordination across repeated simulation scenarios.
3. Evaluate how subjective measures of trainee confidence and perceived course effectiveness complement objective simulation data when assessing overall team readiness and cohesion.
Session Currently Live
Description
Introduction: Expeditionary Medical (EXMED) teams deploy to combat environments in which high-acuity trauma care is routinely required; however, assigned medical personnel often possess minimal to no prior trauma care experience and limited exposure working together in an integrated, dynamic team environment. While traditional trauma courses emphasize individual clinical skills, they do not address team-based coordination. Military-specific trauma training programs incorporate simulation and clinical immersion but rely largely on subjective self-assessment. The Navy Trauma Training Center (NTTC), in partnership with Los Angeles General Medical Center (LAGMC), provides a three-week pre-deployment trauma training program for EXMED team personnel that integrates high-fidelity simulation, interdisciplinary didactics, perfused tissue laboratories, clinical rotations, and mass-casualty exercises. This study evaluates objective and perceived measures of readiness and team-based performance across multiple NTTC cohorts.
Methods: From November 2023 through October 2025, EXMED personnel participating in training at NTTC were assessed by NTTC embedded staff, subject matter experts comprising specialty trained, board certified physicians, nurses and medics with operational combat experience. The initial simulation consisted of two patient scenarios, while the final simulation included six to eight simulated casualties depending on cohort size, with the original two scenarios repeated at course completion to assess improvement. Objective metrics included time to first unit of blood transfused and time to operating room (OR) decision. Data were analyzed using one-tailed Welch’s t-tests, with significance defined as p < 0.05. Participants completed pre- and post-course questionnaires assessing prior trauma experience, confidence, and perceived training effectiveness using 5-point Likert scales.
Results: Thirteen cohorts participated during the study period. Mean time to first unit of blood decreased for patient 1 from 9.9 to 8.8 minutes (Δ 1.1 minutes; p = 0.26) and for patient 2 from 8.6 to 6.6 minutes (Δ 1.9 minutes; p = 0.16). Mean time to OR decision for patient 2 decreased from 9.7 to 8.6 minutes (Δ 1.1 minutes; p = 0.28). Although these differences did not reach statistical significance, all objective measures demonstrated trends toward faster, more coordinated clinical decision-making. Among 98 pre-course respondents, mean confidence in caring for trauma patients was 3.33/5, with years of service ranging from 0.5 to 31. Post-course respondents (n = 131) rated overall course effectiveness at 4.79/5, with simulation scenarios rated highest (4.88/5), and agreement that NTTC training improved trauma care confidence at 4.76/5.
Discussion and Conclusions: Participants represented a wide range of professional experience, from newly enlisted corpsmen to senior Navy trauma surgeons, many with limited prior exposure to high-acuity trauma care or established team-based workflows. Objective performance metrics trended toward improved response times, suggesting enhanced team coordination, role clarity, and clinical prioritization under simulated combat conditions. High subjective ratings and confidence gains reinforce the value of immersive, simulation-based, multidisciplinary training in preparing heterogeneous teams for deployment. Although limited by sample size and variable team composition, these findings support NTTC as a meaningful platform for improving expeditionary medical readiness. Future work will expand objective performance metrics and incorporate longitudinal assessment of deployed EXMED platforms to better quantify operational impact.