title: Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of using tactical decision games to develop final year medical students' non-technical skills.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical decision-making, situation awareness, task management, and teamwork are key non-technical skills (NTS) required by junior doctors. Tactical decision games (TDGs) are low-fidelity classroom-based activities designed to develop proficiency in NTS. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of using TDGs as a novel teaching method for final year medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Final year medical students at the University of Edinburgh participated in a single TDG session. Focus groups were then used to explore students' perceptions of participating in the TDG session and transcribed data from the focus groups was thematically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six key themes emerged from the data: "the value of non-medical games"; "giving and receiving feedback"; "observing and reflecting"; "recognizing and understanding NTS"; "dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity", and "introducing TDGs into the curriculum".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TDGs are an easy-to-use, low-fidelity method of teaching medical students about the importance of NTS. Medical students view TDGs as a valuable learning activity that appears to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of NTS.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Medical Education , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK ;
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Medical Education , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK ;
authors.forename: Gauhar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Medical Education , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK ;
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: b NHS Fife , Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy , Kirkcaldy , UK.
authors.forename: Morwenna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching