Abstract DP278: Development and Implementation of Essential Stroke Life Support®: An Online Virtual Simulation Course

Introduction: Early recognition of acute stroke and prompt intervention significantly improve patient outcomes. However, stroke education remains inconsistent worldwide, with limited access to standardized training for many healthcare providers. To address this gap, the University of Miami Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education and the American Heart Association developed Essential Stroke Life Support (ESLS®). ESLS is an adaptive, online course that integrates virtual (screen-based) simulation cases to provide foundational training in stroke recognition and early management, particularly for professionals with limited experience in stroke care. Purpose: his study describes the development and implementation of the ESLS course for healthcare professionals. We aimed to explore if this course improves learner preparedness and confidence in recognizing and responding to stroke, even outside specialized stroke centers. Methods: In 2023-2024, an interprofessional healthcare team of experts developed a 2.5-hour online course integrating six adaptive eLearning modules with seven screen-based virtual simulation cases (Laerdal Medical) covering strokes and stroke mimics, for prehospital and in-hospital professionals. Adaptive modules require 100% mastery; simulations require ≥70% in case scenarios, stroke screening, and handoff quality scores for completion. Results: ESLS was launched in February 2025. As of August 2025, 401, learners have enrolled in the course from 17 U.S states and 5 countries. On a 5-point Likert scale evaluation (Table 1), learners (n=104) agreed/strongly agreed that ESLS course improved their ability to: identify stroke syndromes (99.04%); to define when to call a stroke alert and transport the patient to a stroke facility (99.04%); to define the initial management of stroke patients (98.08%); overall, satisfied with this offering (96.15%); rated difficulty level of the virtual simulations as appropriate (93.27%). Satisfaction with the quality of course content, usefulness of educational materials, and assessments was very high, receiving either excellent or above average ratings (94.23%), and receiving positive comments (Figure 2). Conclusion: All learners who took the course felt prepared to identify stroke symptoms and syndromes and provide initial management. They also provided positive feedback on the online delivery of the course using individualized, adaptive learning and screen-based virtual simulations.