Multi-specialty knowledge on surgical a management: Implementation of an educational initiative

Purpose

Deficiencies in airway management knowledge can result in harm, especially in tracheostomy patients. Our objective is to assess the degree of knowledge in different medical specialties, before and after targeted airway education.

Materials and methods

A lecture on tracheostomy management was prepared for Otolaryngology, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), Internal Medicine (IM), and Family Medicine (FM). Before the lecture, a 12-question quiz on surgical airway knowledge was administered, and demographics from participants collected. Immediately following the lecture, participants were asked to retake the quiz. Performance was assessed. Population baseline characteristics included, specialty, years of practice, and previous education.

Results

A paired t-test evaluating pre- and post-lecture results showed a 34.2% improvement for all participants (n?=?168) overall (2.7 points, p?

Conclusion

Variability in tracheostomy knowledge based on specialty and years of training exists. We demonstrate that formal education on tracheostomy and surgical airways improved quantitative measures of knowledge.