Training Anesthesiology Residents to Care for the Traumatically Injured in the United States

Anesthesia & Analgesia (05/23) Vol. 136, No. 5, P. 861 Blaine, Kevin; Dudaryk, Roman; Milne, Andrew D.; et al.

Researchers propose a tiered framework for teaching the American Board of Anesthesiology's Initial Certification in Anesthesiology Content Outline to residents by incorporating lectures, simulation, problem-based learning discussions and case-based discussions. The authors present level 1 educational interventions offering structured learning events such as simulation of clinical scenarios. Examples include direct observation of practical skills in which an attending consultant evaluates the resident's competence in specific tasks; Anaesthesia Clinical Evaluation eXercises in which a consultant rates resident performance across an episode of patient care; and after-action reviews. Level 2 interventions, which are provided to students in lieu of hands-on experience, feature case-based discussions and problem-based learning discussions. Level 3 and 4 interventions focus on more passive learning formats such as shadowing clinicians in different clinical settings, viewing online videos, discussion forums, conventional lecture-based didactics and textbooks, and podcasts and social media. The researchers recommend using the next level of available resources in areas that lack access to clinical or simulation resources. "Currently, [training] requirements only include emergency cases [which may or may not be trauma] and a knowledge base that is assessed using multiple-choice questions," they conclude. "Future scholarly work is needed to develop an evidence-based curriculum for trauma anesthesia practice."

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