ASSESSMENT OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TRAUMA TEAM PERFORMANCE AND COHESION DURING A CIVIL-MILITARY LARGE-SCALE LIVE SIMULATION EXERCISE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY linda.sonesson@kcl.ac.uk

332-02

ASSESSMENT OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TRAUMA TEAM PERFORMANCE AND COHESION DURING A CIVIL-MILITARY LARGE-SCALE LIVE SIMULATION EXERCISE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

5

United Kingdom

Oral only

Conflicts, man-made or natural disasters have significant impact on health systems. Public health imperative is to ensure that civilian, and military medical personnel are adequately prepared to respond. However, budget constraints and shifting defence financial priorities cause many countries to rely heavily on civilian healthcare infrastructure and personnel. Training and resources may be inadequate. High-fidelity simulation enables teams to practice under authentic conditions. The study aimed to investigate and quantify limitations in interprofessional trauma teams’ performance and cohesion during NATO VW24 large scale live military simulation exercise.

Cross-sectional study assessing trauma teams operating within eight similar multinational military hospitals. A total of 75 trauma team members from nine nations were assessed by an experienced multidisciplinary team, utilising standardised validated protocols. The data sets were analysed utilising descriptive and thematic analysis.

Discrepancies were identified between team self-assessments and assessors assessments. 93% of participants rated their performance as good or excellent; assessors rated 25% of teams to perform at a poor or below average level. Teams with clear leadership structures, designated roles, good morale, and structured communication demonstrated higher performance. Identified limitations included unclear command hierarchies, linguistic and cultural diversity, inadequate knowledge base and inexperience management of trauma patients. Adaptability under pressure was inconsistent.

This study highlighted the gap between perceived and observed trauma team performance and interaction, leadership clarity, communication structure, and environmental organisation. High-fidelity simulation exercises are essential in identifying training needs and defining the issues strengthening civil-military interoperability in trauma care delivery and effective response.