Escape the Office : The Use of VR Escape Room as an Alternative Teaching Strategy for QI Principles in Medical Education

Abstract

A team-based escape room game in virtual reality to solidify quality improvement (QI) principals in medical education.

Many faculty and learners are intimidated or uninterested by scholarly work. Escape rooms are a growing phenomenon that can be leveraged for educational needs. In addition to reinforcing principles using problem solving skills, the escape room allows learners to develop teamwork, leadership and communication abilities.

Members of the team must solve various puzzles that rely on the application of QI principles (smart aim, benchmarking, identifying measures, tool analysis, run charts) in order to complete the game and “escape”. This fun way of applying knowledge can be easily delivered to medical students, residents and faculty both in academic and community environments. Benefits include increased knowledge retention as this is both interactive and fun. It will create a positive feeling toward QI and help increase engagement with further QI training and activities.