9.1 Debriefing approaches

There are many different approaches to debriefing, below are the most common.

Table 1

Debriefing Approach Description

SHARP 

SHARP contains the absolute basic principles of what to cover when conducting a debriefing. SHARP is an acronym that comprises five ‘prompts’ to guide trainers and trainees in providing/receiving a structured debrief. SHARP stands for Set learning objectives, How did it go, Address concerns, Review learning points, and Plan ahead.

Triangular approach to debriefing

Health Education Improvement Wales’s simulation team have proposed a triangular approach to debriefing which includes Principles, Structure and Strategies.

Diamond debriefing method 

Diamond debrief method is based on the debrief framework technique which is made up of: description, analysis and application. Diamond debrief also consists of aspects of the advocacy-inquiry approach and of debrief with good judgement.

‘The Diamond’: a structure for simulation debrief (Jaye et al, 2015).

Objective Structured Assessment of Debriefing (OSAD)

OSAD is a tool which can be used to facilitate debriefings in both real clinical and simulated settings. It identifies eight core components/categories of effective debriefing i.e. best practice guidelines. These include the approach of the trainer, establishing a learning environment, learner engagement, gauging learner reaction, descriptive reflection, analysis of performance, diagnosis of performance gaps and application to future clinical practice. Each category describes poor, average and good practices. If desirable, each category may also be rated on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 5 (maximum) regarding how well that element of the debriefing is conducted by the trainer. Descriptive anchors at the lowest point, mid-point, and highest point of the scale are used to guide ratings. The global score for OSAD, therefore, ranges from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 40 with higher scores indicating higher quality

Briefing and debriefing during simulation-based training and beyond: Content, structure, attitude and setting (Kolbe et al, 2015).

SHARE

The SHARE debrief tool supports health and social care teams to engage teams and staff who may be affected by the outcome (ie safety actions) of a learning response. Consists of 5 stages: 1.

  1. Scene
  2. Hear
  3. Articulate
  4. Response
  5. Embed

SHARE debrief tool

TALK (NHS tool)

TALK has four steps: Target, Analysis, Learning points, Key actions and promotes guided reflection within teams as a way to improve and maintain patient safety, increase efficiency and contribute to a supportive culture of dialogue and learning in any clinical environment.

TALK materials (Diaz-Navarro et al, 2014).

Activity 6

20 minutes

Part 1: Reflection

Make your own notes in response to the following questions.

Is there a debriefing approach you prefer? Explain your rationale.

  • Think about the possible opportunities and limitations of using your chosen debriefing as a stage of digital simulation within the context of your own practice setting.
  • If possible, discuss this with a colleague and make some notes on your conclusions.
(A text entry box would appear here, but your browser does not support it.)

Part 2: Quiz

Question 1: Which of the following are recognised debriefing modalities that encourage individual reflection and self-assessment after a simulation? (Select all that apply.)

 

Question 2: According to the text, which characteristics are true of facilitated debriefing? (Select all that apply.)

 

Question 3: Which of the following statements accurately describe tele-debriefing? (Select all that apply.)

 

Question 4: The SHARP debriefing approach provides prompts to guide trainers and trainees. Which of the following are components of the SHARP acronym? (Select all that apply.)

 

Question 5: The Objective Structured Assessment of Debriefing (OSAD) tool identifies core components of effective debriefing. Which of these are listed as categories within OSAD? (Select all that apply.)

 

Question 6: Which of the following debriefing approaches or tools mentioned in the text consist of five distinct stages or steps? (Select all that apply.)

 

OpenLearn - An introduction to digital simulation in healthcare
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