Multidisciplinary, multisite trauma team training during COVID-19: lessons from the first virtual E-S.T.A.R.T.T. course.

Trauma care delivery is a complex team-based task that requires deliberate practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has not diminished the importance of excellent trauma team dynamics. However, the pandemic hampers our ability to gather safely and train together. A mitigating solution is the provision of high-fidelity simulation training in a virtual setting. The Simulated Trauma and Resuscitation Team Training (S.T.A.R.T.T.) course has provided multidisciplinary trauma team members with skills in crisis resource management (CRM) for nearly 10 years. It has promoted collaborative learning from coast to coast, as the course typically runs at our national surgical and trauma meetings. In response to COVID-19 challenges, the course content has been modified to virtually connect 2 centres in different provinces simultaneously. High participant satisfaction suggests that the new virtual E-S.T.A.R.T.T course is able to continue to help providers develop important CRM skills in a multidisciplinary setting while remaining compliant with COVID-19 safety precautions.

Peri-Operative Patient Safety - An Interactive Workshop for Section 3 CPD Credits Developed in Collaboration with the CMPA.

BACKGROUND: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requires physicians to collect credit in continuing professional development courses including Section 3 credits which require feedback and self-assessment. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of offering Section 3 credits in a conference setting using an interactive workshop on peri-operative patient safety developed in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). Both the knowledge gained and the attitudes towards the conference were analysed. METHODS: This was a pre/post-test study design. An interactive case studies workshop was implemented on medicolegal issues for patient care, before, during, and after surgery at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting. The workshop used small group and large interactive group educational strategies to gauge knowledge of both pre and post cases. Participants completed a questionnaire at the end of the workshop comparing their attitudes before and after the workshop. RESULTS: There were 22 participants in the workshop. A little over half knew the requirements for Section 3 CPD credits (58%) but only 36% knew how to obtain them. The data demonstrated with 95% confidence intervals, statistically significant improvement in how participants felt about their ability to identify at-risk behaviours in surgical practice (2.10 to 2.90, 3-point Likert, p<0.001), to analyze the impact of at-risk behaviour on patient care (1.95 to 2.65, p<0.001), and to develop strategies to address at-risk behaviours in surgical practice and improve patient care (1.95 to 2.80, p<0.001). One hundred percent of participants felt similar workshops should be included in future annual meetings, and 94% felt that future meetings should include more opportunities to obtain Section 3 credits. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an interactive workshop in a conference setting to fulfill the need for Section 3 continuing professional development credits.