Leigh Evans, MD
Professor of Emergency MedicineCards
About
Research
Overview
Dr. Evans' research focuses on the transfer of clinical skills from the simulation laboratory to the hospital setting. Her primary focus has been on central venous catheter insertion performance by resident physicians. Her AHRQ funded study demonstrated that residents trained to competence in the simulation laboratory perform better in the clinical setting.
Another focus of her research is the impact of a simulation intervention to reduce stress as measured by heart rate variability. She received an RO1 grant entitled "Improving patient and clinician safety during COVID-19 through a rapidly adaptive simulation intervention".
Medical Research Interests
Central Venous Catheters; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Emergency Medicine; Health Care; Internship and Residency; Patient Simulation
Publications
2024
A human factors engineering approach to improving hand hygiene quality
Boyce M, Mathew T, Roberts S, Aniskiewicz M, Krechevsky K, Dahlberg S, Frye N, Trumpler J, Evans L, Martinello R, Team T. A human factors engineering approach to improving hand hygiene quality. Human Factors In Healthcare 2024, 6: 100085. DOI: 10.1016/j.hfh.2024.100085.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealthcare personnelHealthcare-associated infectionsHospital settingWorld Health OrganizationPatient safetyHuman factors engineeringHuman factors engineering approachImprove patient safetyPrevent healthcare-associated infectionsPerformance of HHHealthcare-associated infection ratesSubject matter expertsInfection prevention specialistsHospital leadershipHealthcare settingsAlcohol-based handMatter expertsInpatient hospitalizationQualitative interviewsPrevention specialistsInfection preventionHealthcareHealth OrganizationHospitalHH techniqueEducational and personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medicine resident physicians: a qualitative study
Fults E, Gerwin J, Boyce M, Joseph M, Wong A, Evans L. Educational and personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medicine resident physicians: a qualitative study. BMC Medical Education 2024, 24: 1055. PMID: 39334215, PMCID: PMC11429862, DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05972-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEmergency medicine resident physiciansResident physiciansQualitative studyEmergency departmentResident physicians' experiencesEmergency medicine facultyCOVID-19 pandemicResident physician trainingResidency program leadershipSocial support systemsBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemicData saturationPhysician trainingCode teamFrontline physiciansPractice styleUrban academic institutionProgram leadershipPhysician experienceMedicine facultyResident experiencePersonal impactPhysiciansMoral injuryResident preparationNEAT: Nurse Effort Assessment Tool—Human Factors Considerations in Designing for Appropriate Staffing
Good S, Boyce M, Evans L, Sevilla M. NEAT: Nurse Effort Assessment Tool—Human Factors Considerations in Designing for Appropriate Staffing. Proceedings Of The Human Factors And Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 2024, 68: 1680-1684. DOI: 10.1177/10711813241261347.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchElectronic health recordsPatient-level informationHealth recordsAppropriate staffingIncreased acuityPatient assessmentBehavior patientsClinical sitesAssessment toolStatistically significant resultsPatient recordsNursesSignificant resultsSubjective ratingsPatientsStaffingAlgorithmFactors considerationsRecordsScoresAutomated algorithmComparing Male and Female Resident Physicians in Central Venous Catheter Insertion Self-confidence and Competency: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Solberg M, Wong A, Ikejiani S, Bonz J, Evans L. Comparing Male and Female Resident Physicians in Central Venous Catheter Insertion Self-confidence and Competency: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2024, 1-7. PMID: 39117882, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08982-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTraining programPost-trainingCentral venous catheterFemale resident physiciansSelf-confidenceSelf-reported confidenceMale traineesDifferences pre-Simulation training programVenous cathetersCannulation attemptsDesigning training programsPhysician residentsInserting central venous cathetersSkill-based outcomesLinear regressionDesignUsing dataMale physiciansResident physiciansCentral venous catheter insertionRetrospective cohort studyClinical competenceSpecialty designationBaseline demographic characteristicsPhysician educationHuman-Algorithmic Interaction Using a Large Language Model-Augmented Artificial Intelligence Clinical Decision Support System
Rajashekar N, Shin Y, Pu Y, Chung S, You K, Giuffre M, Chan C, Saarinen T, Hsiao A, Sekhon J, Wong A, Evans L, Kizilcec R, Laine L, Mccall T, Shung D. Human-Algorithmic Interaction Using a Large Language Model-Augmented Artificial Intelligence Clinical Decision Support System. 2024, 1-20. DOI: 10.1145/3613904.3642024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchClinical decision support systemsHuman-computer interactionDecision support systemArtificial intelligenceAI-CDSSIntelligent clinical decision support systemSupport systemIntegration of artificial intelligenceHuman-algorithm interactionsEase-of-useLanguage modelHuman algorithmAI systemsSocio-technological challengesHealth-care providersMedical student participationQualitative themesClinical simulationClinical expertiseUpper gastrointestinal bleedingUsabilityBorderline decisionsLanguageClinical intuitionTrustHRVEST: a novel data solution for using wearable smart technology to measure physiologic stress variables during a randomized clinical trial
Gerwin J, de Oliveira Almeida G, Boyce M, Joseph M, Wong A, Burleson W, Evans L. HRVEST: a novel data solution for using wearable smart technology to measure physiologic stress variables during a randomized clinical trial. Frontiers In Computer Science 2024, 6: 1343139. DOI: 10.3389/fcomp.2024.1343139.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWearable smart garmentsSmart garmentsNovel algorithmRaw physiological dataData solutionsElectrocardiogram (ECGData processing algorithmsReal-time feedbackWearable technologyBiometric dataNoise-filteringProprietary softwareProposed solutionsData challengeSmart technologiesRaw dataAlgorithmDataAnalytical softwareSoftwarePhysiological dataTechnologyBreak-takingDecision-makingHeart rate variability
2021
Virtual Telesimulation for Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ray JM, Wong AH, Yang TJ, Buck S, Joseph M, Bonz JW, Auerbach MA, Couturier K, Tomassoni AJ, Schwartz ML, Evans LV. Virtual Telesimulation for Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Academic Medicine 2021, 96: 1431-1435. PMID: 33883398, PMCID: PMC8475640, DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000004129.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMedical studentsVideoconferencing platformUndergraduate medical educationImmersive educational experienceClinical skill developmentSimulation-based learningMedical student curriculumLearning experienceEducational experienceStudent curriculumClerkship rotationEducational modalitiesContent areasMedical educationMedical schoolsSkill developmentFacilitator interactionsStudentsOnline webinarsPatient actorsStudent volunteersCOVID-19 pandemicSimilar programsChat functionSchools
2010
Simulation and patient safety: evaluative checklists for central venous catheter insertion
Evans LV, Dodge KL. Simulation and patient safety: evaluative checklists for central venous catheter insertion. BMJ Quality & Safety 2010, 19: i42. PMID: 20959318, DOI: 10.1136/qshc.2010.042168.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCentral venous catheter insertionVenous catheter insertionPatient safetyCatheter insertionInvasive proceduresHealthcare providers' competenceInsertion of CVCsProcedural checklistCVC insertionHarmful complicationsReliable assessment toolHealthcare providersClinical settingProvider competenceCategorical breakdownRating ScaleTraining protocolClinical competencyGlobal rating scaleCompetency-based trainingAssessment toolEvaluation toolChecklistAccurate assessmentSafetySimulation Training in Central Venous Catheter Insertion: Improved Performance in Clinical Practice
Evans LV, Dodge KL, Shah TD, Kaplan LJ, Siegel MD, Moore CL, Hamann CJ, Lin Z, D'Onofrio G. Simulation Training in Central Venous Catheter Insertion: Improved Performance in Clinical Practice. Academic Medicine 2010, 85: 1462-1469. PMID: 20736674, DOI: 10.1097/acm.0b013e3181eac9a3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsCatheterization, Central VenousChi-Square DistributionClinical CompetenceCompetency-Based EducationEducation, Medical, GraduateEducational MeasurementHumansIntensive Care UnitsInternship and ResidencyPatient SimulationProspective StudiesRegression AnalysisSingle-Blind MethodStatistics, NonparametricUltrasonography, InterventionalConceptsCentral venous catheter insertionVenous catheter insertionCVC insertionFirst cannulationIntervention groupControl groupCatheter insertionMechanical complicationsClinical practiceTertiary care teaching hospitalSingle-blind studyInsertion success rateTechnical errorsBlinded independent ratersSimulation trainingPatient comorbiditiesPrimary outcomeSecondary outcomesTeaching hospitalInsertion successSecond-year residentsCannulationResident specialtyConfidence intervalsSimulation training course
2009
The Development of an Independent Rater System to Assess Residents' Competence in Invasive Procedures
Evans LV, Morse JL, Hamann CJ, Osborne M, Lin Z, D'Onofrio G. The Development of an Independent Rater System to Assess Residents' Competence in Invasive Procedures. Academic Medicine 2009, 84: 1135-1143. PMID: 19638785, DOI: 10.1097/acm.0b013e3181acec7c.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Leigh Evans, MD, is a specialist in emergency medicine and leads efforts to enhance medical education through simulation, a training method that uses realistic scenarios to teach clinical skills and decision-making, allowing healthcare professionals to practice in a safe and controlled environment.
Dr. Evans is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine and the medical simulation section chief in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Her research focuses on the transfer of simulation skills to clinical settings, particularly for medical students and residents.
Dr. Evans has spearheaded numerous projects, including those aimed at enhancing safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and training in ultrasound-guided procedures. She also runs the Yale Simulation Academy, which provides under-represented high school students in New Haven with hands-on STEM education and insight into healthcare careers.
Dr. Evans earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine and completed her residency in emergency medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Clinical Specialties
Emergency Medicine
Fact Sheets
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
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Yale Medicine News
News
News
- March 11, 2025
Yale Emergency Medicine Extends Its Legacy as a National Leader
- January 14, 2025
VR at Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation
- October 23, 2024
Four Faculty Members Honored for Clinical Excellence
- May 23, 2024
It's Graduation Day for the Sim Academy at Yale
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