Blended Learning in Critical Care to Improve Quality of Care the ERIC-Training

Abstract

Communication and teamwork skills are, besides clinical knowledge, key components of high quality care in modern intensive care units. In light of high staff fluctuations among intensive care unit teams and disparities in clinical experience, an ongoing training is essential to ensure optimal performance in stressfull situations. Further, when implementing new procedures, an adequate concept for staff education is of utmost importance. Blended learning is a novel approach, combining autonomous web-based education and on-site workshops in order to improve the training process. Enhanced Recovery after Intensive Care (ERIC) is a newly developed telemedical intervention targeted at improving evidence-based practice in critical care, guided by quality indicators defined by the German Interdisciplinary Society of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine (DIVI). This telemedical intervention is supplemented with a blended-learning concept combining an e-learning website, simulator-based workshops and on-site training in order to expand the knowledge and practical skills regarding adherence to the quality indicators.