Learning and debriefing from real life medical emergencies and cardiac arrests are a vital part of advanced resuscitation.  It offers valuable insight into technical skills performance of individuals during the resuscitation processes.  These are sometimes easily quantifiable by measurable successes such as intubation, safe defibrillation and intra-osseous cannulation. 
Difficult areas to learn and debrief from are the non -technical areas. e.g. the communication and interaction between team members during the stressful, high pressure environment of emergencies and resuscitation.  This area is often subject to many of the verbal and non-verbal variables which can affect both how a communicator offers their valuable package of instructions and how the receiver interprets that package for use.
There have been many papers published extoling the virtues of simulated scenario teaching and insitu simulated events.  These can offer varying levels of fidelity and simulated reality, but can still be hampered by the artefact of an unreal event.  The significant benefit to this process is the feedback mechanisms available which give opportunities for individuals to see their performance and self critique.
Our busy District General Hospital provides its staff with a varied simulation based learning programme, which offered us an opportunity to canvass opinions based on experience.  Our staff are integral in developing any new strategies that can impact patient care and therefore we needed to assess their thoughts, feelings and personal experiences of Video Aided Review of Resuscitation Events (VARRE).
We surveyed a cross section of our in hospital staff who may be present at the events.  Of the respondents, nearly 95% felt that VARRE could benefit patient care. The positive responses far out weighed any concerns expressed.  But even those concerns are valuable insights into how our colleagues will need to be reassured that the feedback offered is positive, supportive and using data judiciously.

2 - Experiences and opinions of Video Aided Review of Resuscitation Emergencies (VARRE)