TF14 Development of the Open Access Airway Course

Abstract

Emergency airway management is a crucial skill for emergency physicians. Easily accessible formal training for airway management is somewhat lacking. Many of the existing airway courses are not learner-focused and require the learner to travel to a central location at a specific time. Expert faculty time is then divided between lecturing and staffing task trainers. We created a modular curriculum to teach basic and advanced airway skills to a broad audience via asynchronous learning technologies. This should significantly decrease faculty time commitment and shift the teaching focus from conveying facts and methods to one-on-one instruction in a simulation environment. The primary learners for our curriculum are residents training in emergency medicine (PGY1-4). Our secondary learners include any personnel tasked with emergency airway management. This includes advanced practitioners, medical students, EMS providers, emergency medicine faculty, and critical care faculty. After completing this course learners will be able to assess airway anatomy, predict difficult airway issues, and demonstrate proficiency in securing the airway in multiple complex environments. In developing this curriculum, we began with a faculty-led resident focus group. This group consisted of six emergency medicine residents, PGY1-4, who are currently in training. We elicited feedback from residents regarding their current airway training. Using this feedback we developed a curriculum outline. The curriculum consists of two major components: asynchronous content development and delivery, and a hands-on high fidelity simulation environment. Content consists currently of twenty-two modules covering a variety of topics specific to airway management. Modules were designed using the ADDIE instructional design model (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation). Each module contains learning objectives, educational content, and an integrated knowledge assessment. Educational content for each module varies, but typically consist of short video segments demonstrating techniques or principles in detail. Modules are accessible via a publically accessible Web site and may be viewed in a non-linear fashion. Once a particular module is completed, the learner then schedules a time to meet with an expert provider in our simulation laboratory for deliberate practice. We have designed simulation scenarios to most closely represent complex practice scenarios including massive hematemesis, airway obstruction, and persistent hypoxemia. This allows learners to process events dynamically, rather than simply learning to perform a task. There is a checklist of critical events which was developed to objectively evaluate the learner. This is a simple two-column checklist which is marked as either requiring remediation or competent. We also utilize the ACGME Emergency Medicine Milestones to provide feedback to our learners. Emergency airway management is critical to the practice of emergency medicine. Teaching airway management is a time-consuming process. Development of this curriculum shifts the educational focus from the faculty to the learner, and maximizes the learner’s one-on-one time with expert faculty. This curriculum can be easily and rapidly modified or appended as new research is published or new devices are developed.