Introduction: Deficiencies in disaster preparedness training for medical staff are noticeable in SA hospitals. A systemic review conducted in 2020 revealed a significant gap in research investigating the use of SPs with simulation exercises in developing countries despite the frequent occurrence of disasters in these regions. This study, which is the first to use standardized patients with MAC-Sim in the Arabic Gulf region, aims to fill this gap and assess the effectiveness of the functional exercise. Methods: The drill used a mixed-methods approach. Twenty-three volunteers acted as SPs using MAC-SIM cards to record patient signs, symptoms, and physiological parameters. A functional exercise was held on December 19, 2022, at 11 a.m. The scenario concerned a building collapsing; the drill ran for 2.5 hours and focused on the Emergency Department (ED) response, internal communication, and the surge capacity plan. Results: Precise triage categories characterized the team’s performance. The ED team assessed most patients (67%) in under five minutes. For patients requiring definitive care, such as ICU, OR, and wards, 95% spent less than 2.5 hours in the ED. Most patients (65%) required ‘other maneuvers’ for treatment. The mean score for a realistic scenario was highest among the players (4.625 ± 0.719) compared to the evaluator and facilitator. Importantly, participants’ feedback on using MAC-SIM cards during exercise simulations was overwhelmingly positive, with approximately 87% finding them beneficial. The Paramedics (SPs) with prior disaster knowledge and experience outperformed nurses (SPs) in the functional drill. Conclusion: This groundbreaking study is the first in the Arabic Gulf region to utilize (SPs) with MAC SIM cards in functional exercises. The findings emphasize the potential of simulation exercises in enhancing hospital team knowledge and performance. Pre-exercise orientation sessions can further boost participant readiness and performance. Multiple evaluation techniques can effectively identify participant strengths and weaknesses, informing future hospital disaster improvement plans.
Bajow et al. (Sun,) studied this question.