Usability Testing Via Simulation: Optimizing the NEAR4PEM Preintubation Checklist With a Human Factors Approach.

OBJECTIVES: To inform development of a preintubation checklist for pediatric emergency departments via multicenter usability testing of a prototype checklist. METHODS: This was a prospective, mixed methods study across 7 sites in the National Emergency Airway Registry for Pediatric Emergency Medicine (NEAR4PEM) collaborative. Pediatric emergency medicine attending physicians and senior fellows at each site were first oriented to a checklist prototype, including content previously identified using a modified Delphi approach. Each site used the checklist in 2 simulated cases: an "easy airway" and a "difficult airway" scenario. Facilitators recorded verbalization, completion, and timing of checklist items. After each simulation, participants completed an anonymous usability survey. Structured debriefings were used to gather additional feedback on checklist usability. Comments from the surveys and debriefing were qualitatively analyzed using a framework approach. Responses informed human factors-based optimization of the checklist. RESULTS: Fifty-five pediatric emergency medicine physicians/fellows (4-13 per site) participated. Participants found the prototype checklist to be helpful, easy to use, clear, and of appropriate length. During the simulations, 93% of checklist items were verbalized and more than 80% were completed. Median time to checklist completion was 6.2 minutes (interquartile range, 4.8-7.1) for the first scenario and 4.2 minutes (interquartile range, 2.7-5.8) for the second. Survey and debriefing data identified the following strengths: facilitating a shared mental model, cognitively offloading the team leader, and prompting contingency planning. Suggestions for checklist improvement included clarifying specific items, providing more detailed prompts, and allowing institution-specific customization. Integration of these data with human factors heuristic inspection resulted in a final checklist. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation-based, human factors usability testing of the National Emergency Airway Registry for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Preintubation Checklist allowed optimization prior to clinical implementation. Next steps involve integration into real-world settings utilizing rigorous implementation science strategies, with concurrent evaluation of the impact on patient outcomes and safety.

Virtual Interviews and the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Match Geography: A National Survey.

Introduction: Virtual interviews (VI) are now a permanent part of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) recruitment, especially given the cost and equity advantages. Yet inability to visit programs in person can impact decision-making, leading applicants to apply to more programs. Moreover, the cost advantages of VI may encourage applicants to apply to programs farther away than they might otherwise have been willing or able to travel. This could create unnecessary strain on programs. We conducted this study to determine whether PEM fellowship applicants would apply to a larger number of programs and in different geographic patterns with VI (2020 and 2021) as compared to in-person interviews (2018 and 2019). Methods: We conducted an anonymous national survey of all PEM fellows comparing two cohorts: current fellows who interviewed inperson (applied in 2018/2019) and fellows who underwent VIs in 2020/2021 (current fellows and those recently matched in 2021). The study took place in March-April 2022. Questions focused on geographic considerations during interviews and the match. We used descriptive statistics, chi-square and t-tests for analysis. Results: Overall response rate was 42% (231/550); 32% (n = 74) interviewed in person and 68% (n = 157) virtually. Fellows applied to a median of 4/6 geographic regions (interquartile range 2, 5). Most applied for fellowship both in the same region as residency (216, 93%) and outside (192, 83%). Only the Pacific region saw a statistically significant increase in applicants during VI (59.9% vs 43.2%, P = 0.02). There was no statistical difference in the number of programs applied to during in-person vs VI (mean difference (95% confidence interval 0.72, -2.8 - 4.2). A majority matched in their preferred state both during VI (60.4%) and in-person interviews (65.7%). The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.45). Conclusion: While more PEM fellowship applicants applied outside the geographic area where their residency was and to the Pacific region, there was no overall increase in the number of programs or geographic areas PEM applicants applied to during VI as compared to in-person interview seasons. As this was the first two years of VI, ongoing data collection will further identify trends and the impactof VI.

Child Health Needs and the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Workforce: 2020-2040.

Approximately 30 million ill and injured children annually visit emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. Data suggest that patients seen in pediatric EDs by board-certified pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians receive higher-quality care than those cared for by non-PEM physicians. These benefits, coupled with the continued growth in PEM since its inception in the early 1990s, have impacted child health broadly. This article is part of a Pediatrics supplement focused on predicting the future pediatric subspecialty workforce supply by drawing on the American Board of Pediatrics workforce data and a microsimulation model of the future pediatric subspecialty workforce. The article discusses the utilization of acute care services in EDs, reviews the current state of the PEM subspecialty workforce, and presents projected numbers of PEM subspecialists at the national, census region, and census division on the basis of this pediatric subspecialty workforce supply model through 2040. Implications of this model on education and training, clinical practice, policy, and future workforce research are discussed. Findings suggest that, if the current growth in the field of PEM continues on the basis of the increasing number and size of fellowship programs, even with a potential reduction in percentage of clinical time and attrition of senior physicians, the PEM workforce is anticipated to increase nationally. However, the maldistribution of PEM physicians is likely to be perpetuated with the highest concentration in New England and Mid-Atlantic regions and "PEM deserts" in less populated areas.

It Takes a Village: Optimal Graduate Medical Education Requires a Deliberately Developmental Organization.

Coaching is proposed as a means of improving the learning culture of medicine. By fostering trusting teacher-learner relationships, learners are encouraged to embrace feedback and make the most of failure. This paper posits that a cultural shift is necessary to fully harness the potential of coaching in graduate medical education. We introduce the deliberately developmental organization framework, a conceptual model focusing on three core dimensions: developmental communities, developmental aspirations, and developmental practices. These dimensions broaden the scope of coaching interactions. Implementing this organizational change within graduate medical education might be challenging, yet we argue that embracing deliberately developmental principles can embed coaching into everyday interactions and foster a culture in which discussing failure to maximize learning becomes acceptable. By applying the dimensions of developmental communities, aspirations, and practices, we present a six-principle roadmap towards transforming graduate medical education training programs into deliberately developmental organizations.

Just-in-time procedural training for pediatric emergency medicine trainees: A randomized educational interventional trial.

Background: Pediatric requirements include procedural skills training such as peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter placement and bag-mask ventilation (BMV). Clinical experiences may be limited and temporally remote from scheduled teaching. Just-in-time (JIT) training prior to utilization can promote skill development and mitigate learning decay. Our objective was to assess the impact of JIT training on pediatric residents' procedural performance, knowledge, and confidence with PIV placement and BMV. Methods: Residents received standardized baseline training in both PIV placement and BMV during scheduled educational programming. Between 3 and 6 months later, participants were randomized and received JIT training for either PIV placement or BMV. JIT training included a brief video and coached practice, totaling <5 min. Each participant was videotaped performing both procedures on skills trainers. Blinded investigators scored performance using skills checklists. Pre- and postintervention knowledge was assessed using multiple-choice and short-answer items, and confidence was reported using Likert scores. Results: Seventy-two residents completed baseline training sessions: 36 were randomized to receive JIT training for PIV and 36 for BMV. Thirty-five residents in each cohort completed the curriculum. There were no significant differences between the cohorts with regard to demographics, baseline knowledge, or prior simulation experience. JIT training was associated with improved procedural performance for PIV (median 87% vs. 70%, p < 0.001) and for BMV (mean 83% vs. 57%, p < 0.001). Results remained significant after using regression models to adjust for differences in prior clinical experience. Improvements in knowledge or confidence were not associated with JIT training in either cohort. Conclusions: JIT training resulted in a significant improvement in resident procedural performance with PIV placement and BMV in a simulated environment. There were no differences in outcome with regard to knowledge or confidence. Future work might explore how the demonstrated benefit translates into the clinical setting.

High-risk criteria for the physiologically difficult paediatric airway: A multicenter, observational study to generate validity evidence.

BACKGROUND: Single-center studies have identified risk factors for peri-intubation cardiac arrest in the emergency department (ED). The study objective was to generate validity evidence from a more diverse, multicenter cohort of patients. METHODS: We completed a retrospective cohort study of 1200 paediatric patients who underwent tracheal intubation in eight academic paediatric EDs (150 per ED). The exposure variables were 6 previously studied high-risk criteria for peri-intubation arrest: (1) persistent hypoxemia despite supplemental oxygen, (2) persistent hypotension, (3) concern for cardiac dysfunction, (4) post-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), (5) severe metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.1), and (6) status asthmaticus. The primary outcome was peri-intubation cardiac arrest. Secondary outcomes included extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) cannulation and in-hospital mortality. We compared all outcomes between patients that met one or more versus no high-risk criteria, using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: Of the 1,200 paediatric patients, 332 (27.7%) met at least one of 6 high-risk criteria. Of these, 29 (8.7%) suffered peri-intubation arrest compared to zero arrests in patients meeting none of the criteria. On adjusted analysis, meeting at least one high-risk criterion was associated with all 3 outcomes - peri-intubation arrest (AOR 75.7, 95% CI 9.7-592.6), ECMO (AOR 7.1, 95% CI 2.3-22.3) and mortality (AOR 3.4, 95% 1.9-6.2). Four of 6 criteria were independently associated with peri-intubation arrest: persistent hypoxemia despite supplemental oxygen, persistent hypotension, concern for cardiac dysfunction, and post-ROSC. CONCLUSIONS: In a multicenter study, we confirmed that meeting at least one high-risk criterion was associated with paediatric peri-intubation cardiac arrest and patient mortality.

Coaching the coach: A randomized controlled study of a novel curriculum for procedural coaching during intubation.

Background: Videolaryngoscopy allows real-time procedural coaching during intubation. This study sought to develop and assess an online curriculum to train pediatric emergency medicine attending physicians to deliver procedural coaching during intubation. Methods: Curriculum development consisted of semistructured interviews with 12 pediatric emergency medicine attendings with varying levels of airway expertise analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Following development, the curriculum was implemented and assessed through a multicenter randomized controlled trial enrolling participants in one of three cohorts: the coaching module, unnarrated video recordings of intubations, and a module on ventilator management. Participants completed identical pre and post assessments asking them to select the correct coaching feedback and provided reactions for qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Content from interviews was synthesized into a video-enhanced 15-min online coaching module illustrating proper technique for intubation and strategies for procedural coaching. Eighty-seven of 104 randomized physicians enrolled in the curriculum; 83 completed the pre and post assessments (80%). The total percentage correct did not differ between pre and post assessments for any cohort. Participants receiving the coaching module demonstrated improved performance on patient preparation, made more suggestions for improvement, and experienced a greater increase in confidence in procedural coaching. Qualitative analysis identified multiple benefits of the module, revealed that exposure to video recordings without narration is insufficient, and identified feedback on suggestions for improvement as an opportunity for deliberate practice. Conclusions: This study leveraged clinical and educational digital technology to develop a curriculum dedicated to the content expertise and coaching skills needed to provide feedback during intubations performed with videolaryngoscopy. This brief curriculum changed behavior in simulated coaching scenarios but would benefit from additional support for deliberate practice.

Management of the Difficult Airway.

ABSTRACT: Airway management is a fundamental component of care during resuscitation of critically ill and injured children. In addition to predicted anatomic and physiologic differences in children compared with adults, certain conditions can predict potential difficulty during pediatric airway management. This review presents approaches to identifying pediatric patients in whom airway management is more likely to be difficult, and discusses strategies to address such challenges. These strategies include optimization of effective bag-mask ventilation, alternative approaches to laryngoscopy, use of adjunct airway devices, modifications to rapid sequence intubation, and performance of surgical airways in children. The importance of considering systems of care in preparing for potentially difficult pediatric airways is also discussed.

Development of a paediatric airway management checklist for the emergency department: a modified Delphi approach.

BACKGROUND: Airway management checklists have improved paediatric patient safety in some clinical settings, but consensus on the appropriate components to include on a checklist for paediatric tracheal intubation in the ED is lacking. METHODS: A multidisciplinary panel of 14 experts in airway management within and outside of paediatric emergency medicine participated in a modified Delphi approach to develop consensus on the appropriate components for a paediatric airway management checklist for the ED. Panel members reviewed, modified and added to the components from the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children airway safety checklist for paediatric intensive care units using a 9-point appropriateness scale. Components with a median score of 7.0-9.0 and a 25th percentile score ≥7.0 achieved consensus for inclusion. A priori, the modified Delphi method was limited to a maximum of two rounds for consensus on essential components and one additional round for checklist creation. RESULTS: All experts participated in both rounds. Consensus was achieved on 22 components. Twelve were original candidate items and 10 were newly suggested or modified items. Consensus components included the following categories: patient assessment and plan (5 items), patient preparation (5 items), pharmacy (2 items), equipment (7 items) and personnel (3 items). The components were formatted into a 17-item clinically usable checklist. CONCLUSIONS: Using the modified Delphi method, consensus was established among airway management experts around essential components for an airway management checklist intended for paediatric tracheal intubation in the ED.

Video-Assisted Laryngoscopy for Pediatric Tracheal Intubation in the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Study of Clinical Outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between video-assisted laryngoscopy (use of a videolaryngoscope regardless of where laryngoscopists direct their gaze), first-attempt success, and adverse airway outcomes. METHODS: We conducted an observational study using data from 2 airway consortiums that perform prospective surveillance: the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children (NEAR4KIDS) and a pediatric emergency medicine airway education collaborative. Data collected included patient and procedural characteristics and procedural outcomes. We performed multivariable analyses of the association of video-assisted laryngoscopy with individual patient outcomes and evaluated the association between site-level video-assisted laryngoscopy use and tracheal intubation outcomes. RESULTS: The study cohort included 1,412 tracheal intubation encounters performed from January 2017 to March 2021 across 11 participating sites. Overall, the first-attempt success was 70.0%. Video-assisted laryngoscopy was associated with increased odds of first-attempt success (odds ratio [OR] 2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 2.73) and decreased odds of severe adverse airway outcomes (OR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.85) including decreased severe hypoxia (OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.87). Sites varied substantially in the use of video-assisted laryngoscopy (range from 12.9% to 97.8%), and sites with high use of video-assisted laryngoscopy (> 80%) experienced increased first-attempt success even after adjusting for individual patient laryngoscope use (OR 2.30; 95% CI, 1.79 to 2.95). CONCLUSION: Video-assisted laryngoscopy is associated with increased first-attempt success and fewer adverse airway outcomes for patients intubated in the pediatric emergency department. There is wide variability in the use of video-assisted laryngoscopy, and the high use is associated with increased odds of first-attempt success.

See one, see one, teach one - Decisions on allocating intubation opportunities in pediatric emergency medicine.

Background: Decisions about who should perform tracheal intubation in academic settings must balance the needs of trainees to develop competency in pediatric intubation with patient safety. Airway protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic may have reduced opportunities for trainees, representing an opportunity to examine the impact of shifting laryngoscopy responsibilities away from trainees. Methods: This observational study combined data from 11 pediatric emergency departments in North America participating in either the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children (NEAR4KIDS) or a national pediatric emergency medicine airway education collaborative. Sites provided information on airway protocols, patient and procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes. For the pre-pandemic (January 2017 to March 2020) and pandemic (March 2020 to March 2021) periods, we compared tracheal intubation opportunities by laryngoscopist level of training and specialty. We also compared first-attempt success and adverse airway outcomes between the two periods. Results: There were 1129 intubations performed pre-pandemic and 283 during the pandemic. Ten of 11 sites reported a COVID-19 airway protocol-8 specified which clinician performs tracheal intubation and 10 advocated for videolaryngoscopy. Both pediatric residents and pediatric emergency medicine fellows performed proportionally fewer tracheal intubation attempts during the pandemic: 1.1% of all first attempts versus 6.4% pre-pandemic for residents (p < 0.01) and 38.4% versus 47.2% pre-pandemic for fellows (p = 0.01). Pediatric emergency medicine fellows had greater decrease in monthly intubation opportunities for patients <1 year (incidence rate ratio = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.57) than for older patients (incidence rate ratio = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.99). Neither the rate of first-attempt success nor adverse airway outcomes differed between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to pediatric institutional changes in airway management protocols and resulted in decreased intubation opportunities for pediatric residents and pediatric emergency medicine fellows, without apparent change in clinical outcomes.

A Statewide Collaboration to Deliver and Evaluate a Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Curriculum for Emergency Medical Services.

Objective: Care of the critically ill child is a rare but stressful event for emergency medical services (EMS) providers. Simulation training can improve resuscitation care and prehospital outcomes but limited access to experts, simulation equipment, and cost have limited adoption by EMS systems. Our objective was to form a statewide collaboration to develop, deliver, and evaluate a pediatric critical care simulation curriculum for EMS providers. Methods: We describe a statewide collaboration between five academic centers to develop a simulation curriculum and deliver it to EMS providers. Cases were developed by the collaborating PEM faculty, reviewed by EMS regional directors, and based on previously published EMS curricula, a statewide needs assessment, and updated state EMS protocols. The simulation curriculum was comprised of 3 scenarios requiring recognition and acute management of critically ill infants and children. The curriculum was implemented through 5 separate education sessions, led by a faculty lead at each site, over a 6 month time period. We evaluated curriculum effectiveness with a prospective, interventional, single-arm educational study using pre-post assessment design to assess the impact on EMS provider knowledge and confidence. To assess the intervention effect on knowledge scores while accounting for nested data, we estimated a mixed effects generalized regression model with random effects for region and participant. We assessed for knowledge retention and self-reported practice change at 6 months post-curriculum. Qualitative analysis of participants' written responses immediately following the curriculum and at 6 month follow-up was performed using the framework method. Results: Overall, 78 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 109 paramedics participated in the curriculum over five separate sessions. Most participants were male (69%) and paramedics (58%). One third had over 15 years of clinical experience. In the regression analysis, mean pediatric knowledge scores increased by 9.8% (95% CI: 7.2%, 12.4%). Most (93% [95% CI: 87.2%, 96.5%]) participants reported improved confidence caring for pediatric patients. Though follow-up responses were limited, participants who completed follow up surveys reported they had used skills acquired during the curriculum in clinical practice. Conclusion: Through statewide collaboration, we delivered a pediatric critical care simulation curriculum for EMS providers that impacted participant knowledge and confidence caring for pediatric patients. Follow-up data suggest that knowledge and skills obtained as part of the curriculum was translated into practice. This strategy could be used in future efforts to integrate simulation into EMS practice.

Association between the number of endotracheal intubation attempts and rates of adverse events in a paediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Challenges in emergent airway management in children can affect intubation success. It is unknown if number of endotracheal intubation attempts is associated with rates of adverse events in the paediatric ED setting. OBJECTIVE: We sought to (1) Identify rates of intubation-related adverse events, (2) Evaluate the association between the number of intubation attempts and adverse events in a paediatric ED, and (3) Determine the effect of videolaryngoscopy on these associations. DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent endotracheal intubation in a paediatric ED in the USA between January 2004 and December 2018. Data on patient-related, provider-related and procedure-related characteristics were obtained from a quality assurance database and the health record. Our primary outcome was frequency of intubation-related adverse events, categorised as major and minor. The number of intubation attempts was trichotomised to 1, 2, and 3 or greater. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between the number of intubation attempts and odds of adverse events, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: During the study period, 628 patients were intubated in the ED. The overall rate of adverse events was 39%. Hypoxia (19%) was the most common major event and mainstem intubation (15%) the most common minor event. 72% patients were successfully intubated on the first attempt. With two intubation attempts, the adjusted odds of any adverse event were 3.26 (95% CI 2.11 to 5.03) and with ≥3 attempts the odds were 4.59 (95% CI 2.23 to 9.46). Odds similarly increased in analyses of both major and minor adverse events. This association was consistent for both traditional and videolaryngoscopy. CONCLUSION: Increasing number of endotracheal intubation attempts was associated with higher odds of adverse events. Efforts to optimise first attempt success in children undergoing intubation may mitigate this risk and improve clinical outcomes.

Emergency pediatric radiology imaging trends for non-COVID-19-related illnesses through different stages of the pandemic.

PURPOSE: To evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the imaging utilization patterns for non-COVID-19-related illness in a pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed radiology reports for ultrasound, CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy studies performed at a pediatric ED in April from 2017 to 2021, excluding studies for respiratory symptoms and trauma. Radiology reports and medical records were reviewed to determine if patients had a positive radiology diagnosis, the type of diagnosis, and whether it required hospital admission. Results from during the pandemic were compared to predicted rates based on pre-pandemic years. RESULTS: A total of 2198 imaging studies were included. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer ED imaging studies were performed compared to predicted. The decrease was greater in April 2020 (RR = 0.56, p < 0.001) than in April 2021 (RR = 0.80, p = 0.038). The odds of positive diagnosis was higher during the pandemic than before, and higher in 2020 (OR 2.53, p < 0.001) than in 2021 (OR 1.38, p = 0.008). The expected numbers of positive diagnoses and hospital admittances remained within the predicted range during the pandemic (p = 0.505-0.873). CONCLUSIONS: Although imaging volumes decreased during the studied months of the pandemic, the number of positive findings was unchanged compared to prior years. No differences were demonstrated in the percentage of patients admitted to the hospital with positive imaging findings. This suggests that, at our institution, the pandemic did not lead to a substantial number of missed diagnoses or severely delay the diagnosis of non-COVID-related conditions. While still lower than expected, imaging volumes increased in April 2021 suggesting a return towards baseline patient behavior as the pandemic conditions improved.

Virtual Interviewing for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship-A National Survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate both applicant and interviewer satisfaction with the virtual interviewing process for pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship in hopes to improve the fellowship interviewing process. It was proposed that fellowship programs and applicants would prefer virtual interviews over traditional interviews. METHODS: A survey developed in collaboration with UT Southwestern PEM fellowship leaders and national PEM leaders was sent to all PEM fellowship applicants and programs at the conclusion of the 2020 interview season and rank list submission. The applicant survey obtained information on ease of virtual interviews and whether applicants felt that they obtained adequate information from virtual interviews to make informed program selections. Program director surveys collected data on thoughts and feelings about virtual interviews and obstacles encountered during the recruitment season. Both surveys asked about costs for interviews and interview type preference. RESULTS: A response rate of 49% from applicants and 47% from programs was obtained. Virtual interview days were similar in the amount of time and staff hours used compared with traditional days. Applicants spent less on virtual interviews compared with those who underwent traditional interviews (average $725 vs $4312). Programs received more applications than the prior year and spent less money during the virtual cycle. The majority of the applicants (90%) were comfortable with the virtual interview platform, and most (66%) agreed that virtual interviews provided adequate information to determine program rank. Geography was the number 1 rank determining factor. Programs and applicants preferred a form of in-person interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual interviews provide cost savings for both applicants and programs. Despite this, both parties prefer a form of in-person interviews.