Transport Medical Control Education for Pediatric Critical Care Fellows: A National Needs Assessment Study.

OBJECTIVES: Characterize transport medical control education in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey study. SETTING: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship programs in the United States. SUBJECTS: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship program directors. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We achieved a 74% (53/72) response rate. A majority of programs (85%) require fellows to serve as transport medical control, usually while carrying out other clinical responsibilities and sometimes without supervision. Fellows at most programs (80%) also accompany the transport team on patient retrievals. Most respondents (72%) reported formalized transport medical control teaching, primarily in a didactic format (76%). Few programs (25%) use a standardized assessment tool. Transport medical control was identified as requiring all six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies, with emphasis on professionalism and interpersonal and communication skills. CONCLUSIONS: Transport medical control responsibilities are common for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellows, but training is inconsistent, assessment is not standardized, and supervision may be lacking. Fellow performance in transport medical control may help inform assessment in multiple domains of competencies. Further study is needed to identify effective methods for transport medical control education.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding HIV testing among female military family members of childbearing age in Honduras.

This is a survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding HIV testing among 187 female family members affiliated with the Honduran Armed Forces and civilian controls. Prior HIV testing was reported by 45%, and 94% expressed willingness to be tested in the future. Pregnancy was the reason for 73% of prior tests, but only 49% of the 149 women with prior pregnancies reported prior tests. Although most women tested for HIV did so during pregnancy, there appears to be a gap in understanding that the rationale is to help prevent maternal-child transmission at birth or through breast-feeding. Military-affiliated women were more likely to describe themselves as being knowledgeable of HIV/AIDS, 95% versus 82% (p < 0.01), but there were few differences in knowledge between groups. Positive perceptions of confidentiality, test accuracy, and self-awareness of HIV were associated with prior testing. Although these differences may point to HIV/AIDS educational areas that should be emphasized for a particular population, the overall content that should be provided to military or civilian families is the same.