Novel Academic Tabletop 2022 (NAT22): A Dynamic Dice-Based Emergency Medicine Education Tool

Abstract

Gamification is an effective teaching tool that improves engagement and knowledge retention. Tabletop role-playing games are dynamic games that use random chance and foster player/leader partnership. To date, there are no teaching tools that mimic dynamic or unpredictable patient presentations. This style of game may work well as a tool for medical education in a simulation-based modality. In this report, we document the rules, materials, and training required to reproduce a hybrid game created to combine facets of simulation and tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) to create a dynamic medical education tool. After testing the game for flaws and fluidity of gameplay, we plan to collect data evaluating emergency medicine residents' enjoyability and knowledge retention. In this article, we describe a novel TRPG simulation hybrid game that we hypothesize will improve learner enjoyability/engagement and have similar educational benefits to standard medical education.

Keywords: dungeons and dragons; gamification technique; simulation in medical education; simulation medicine; tabletop roleplaying game; teaching in emergency medicine.

Figure 1. Gameplay flow sheet generated by authors outlining the order of operations for gameplay. Modifiers are included and definitions for rolls, destabilization points, and proctor actions are listed.