RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in the confidence and learning needs between subgroups of Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM), according to sex, type of hospital of principal employment, region of practice in Australasia, year of obtaining the fellowship and percentage of hours worked clinically. METHOD: Mailed survey of all FACEM with multiple Likert scale options. RESULTS: Male emergency physicians (EP) more often expressed confidence in 14 of 58 tasks, but female EP more often expressed a strong desire for continuing professional development (CPD) in 8. EP working in private hospitals were more likely to find lack of conference in their contracts a barrier to participation in CPD (28% [CI 14.1-47.8]vs 7.3% [CI 5.2-10.1]; P = 0.003). EP obtaining their fellowship before 1990 were more confident in 13 of 25 non-clinical tasks than others but had similar confidence in clinical skills. Although EP who spent 30% or less on clinical work expressed confidence more frequently in a range of non-clinical skills, they were less confident for paediatric emergencies, central lines, orthopaedics and tube thoracostomy. There were few variations between Australian states and territories and New Zealand in confidence of EP. EP in regional and rural centres nominated geographical factors (31.3% [CI 21.2-43.4]vs 17.2% [CI 13.9-21.3]; P = 0.012), other colleagues being at the same conference (46.9% [CI 35.2-58.9]vs 28.3% [CI 24.2-32.9]; P = 0.005) and inability to use their conference leave (48.4% [CI 36.6-60.4]vs 33.1% [CI 28.7-37.8]; P = 0.024) as significant barriers more frequently than their city colleagues. CONCLUSION: These findings might assist planning CPD for EP.
Asunto(s)
Competencia Clínica , Educación Médica Continua/organización & administración , Medicina de Emergencia/educación , Evaluación de Necesidades , Adulto , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Intervalos de Confianza , Estudios Transversales , Curriculum , Evaluación Educacional , Medicina de Emergencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Probabilidad , Desarrollo de Programa , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Autoeficacia , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Sociedades Médicas , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , VictoriaRESUMEN
OBJECT: To determine the barriers to continuous professional development (CPD) perceived by Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM), their opinions on the maintenance of professional standards programme (MOPS), and other aspects of education. METHOD: Mailed survey offering 12 factors that could prevent them from participating in CPD. FACEM were asked to rate the items on Likert from 1, no barrier, through to 5, insurmountable barrier. Qualitative comments on barriers, MOPS and other education were grouped. RESULTS: Nearly 47% of FACEM nominated lack of time with too many other priorities as significant of insurmountable barriers to CPD whilst 41% cited their ED as being too busy to leave and 35% had family commitments preventing CPD. While commitments, resistance from colleagues or employers (7%), lack of personal motivation or interest, (7.5%) lack of conference leave (8%) or financial restraint (14.5%) were lesser barriers for FACEM. Scheduling at inconvenient times (25%) and geographical factors (19%) were also perceived as significant barriers. Analysis of qualitative responses highlighted staff shortages, family reasons, personal fatigue, lack of interest in available CPD, cost and limited nonclinical time as being important barriers for some FACEM. Less than 50% of FACEM agreed that current allocation of MOPS points was appropriate or that the website spot diagnoses and scenarios kept their knowledge current. Nearly 28% did not find online MOPS easy to comprehend. CONCLUSION: These findings may assist in facilitating increased participation in CPD by FACEM.
Asunto(s)
Competencia Clínica , Educación Médica Continua/organización & administración , Medicina de Emergencia/educación , Adulto , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Estudios Transversales , Evaluación Educacional , Medicina de Emergencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Evaluación de Necesidades , Desarrollo de Programa , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Sociedades Médicas , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , VictoriaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To report the preferences of Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine for topics they would desire for their continuing professional development (CPD). METHOD: A mailed survey of Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine asked for Likert type responses on the desirability of CPD on 15 procedural skills, 13 management skills, 11 clinical emergency topics, 9 topics related to teaching, 7 related to diagnostics and 5 evidence based practice topics. RESULTS: CPD in procedural skills of advanced and surgical airways, ED ultrasound, ventilation, skills, plastic procedures and regional anaesthesia were nominated as desirable by 85% of emergency physicians (EP). More than 90% desired CPD in ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngeal, neonatal and paediatric emergencies. Of diagnostic skills, more than 80% considered CPD on computerized tomography, electrocardiography and plain X-ray interpretation as desirable, well as CPD about teaching in general, simulation and preparing candidates for fellowship exams. Of the 12 management skills, 11 were seen as desirable topics by more than 70%, with counter disaster planning, giving feedback and dealing with complaints the most popular. All evidence based practice related skills, including interpreting statistics and undertaking literature searches were seen as desirable topics by more than 80% of EP. CONCLUSION: This information may assist in the planning of future educational interventions for emergency physicians. EP seek CPD on management, educational and other non clinical skills, as well as topics relating directly to patient care.
Asunto(s)
Curriculum , Educación Médica Continua , Medicina de Emergencia/educación , Evaluación de Necesidades , Australasia , Competencia Clínica , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Humanos , Aprendizaje , Investigación Cualitativa , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the participation of Emergency Physicians (EP) in currently available continuing professional development opportunities (CPD), their perception of the usefulness of available CPD and their preferred format or method of CPD desired in the future. METHOD: A mailed survey of Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine with 17 Likert type options on educational methods and qualitative analysis grouping volunteered free text responses. RESULTS: The most frequent learning methods reported by EP are on the job contact with other clinicians, formal ED based teaching and reading journals, which were also perceived as useful or very useful learning methods by more than 90% of EP. Less than 15% often or always participate on hospital grand rounds, high fidelity simulation, computer programmes or commercially sponsored events. Increased exposure was desired to high-fidelity simulation center skills training by 58% of respondents with nearly 49% of fellows also wanting more participation in international conferences with around 44% of fellows also wanting more participation in international conferences with around 44% desiring more formal teaching in the ED, more formal feedback on performance, and more meetings with other hospital departments. Over 50% of EP want less or no exposure to commercially sponsored dinners or events. CONCLUSION: Whilst emergency physicians currently participate in a wide variety of learning methods, the results of this survey suggest EP most appreciate ED based teaching, would like more contact with other departments, along with increased opportunities for simulation based learning and attendance at international conferences.
Asunto(s)
Educación Médica Continua/métodos , Medicina de Emergencia/educación , Consejos de Especialidades , Asia , Australia , Competencia Clínica , Evaluación Educacional , Humanos , Aprendizaje , Evaluación de Necesidades , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the degree of confidence perceived by Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine for a variety of procedural, patient management, educational and research skills, and tasks that may be required of them. METHOD: Mailed survey with Likert scales and grouped qualitative responses. RESULTS: More than 90% of emergency physicians (EP) feel usually or always confident of their skills for peripheral vascular access, procedural sedation, fluid resuscitation, tube thoracostomy, managing patients with altered conscious state, cardiac emergencies, behavioural disturbance, and interpreting acid base and other blood tests. Less than 50% felt confident performing surgical airways, ED ultrasound, managing neonatal emergencies or interpreting MRI. Of non-clinical skills, while most EP were confident of their ability to write references, debrief staff, lead group tutorials and prepare slides, a minority felt usually or always confident about budgeting and finance, preparing submissions, dealing with the media, appearing in court or marking examination papers. Whilst nearly 75% were confident about the information technology skills required of them for clinical practice, less than 25% of EP felt confident about conducting research and less than 15% were confident applying or interpreting statistics. CONCLUSION: This information may assist in the planning of future educational interventions for EP.
Asunto(s)
Competencia Clínica/estadística & datos numéricos , Medicina de Emergencia/educación , Medicina de Emergencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Evaluación de Necesidades , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Australasia , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Humanos , Sociedades MédicasRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM) have opportunities to participate in a range of continuing professional development activities. To inform FACEM and assist those involved in planning continuing professional development interventions for FACEM, we undertook a learning needs analysis of emergency physicians. METHOD: Exploratory study using survey methodology. Following questionnaire development by iterative feedback with emergency physicians and researchers, a mailed survey was distributed to all FACEM. The survey comprised eight items on work and demographic characteristics of FACEM, and 194 items on attitudes to existing learning opportunities, barriers to learning, and perceived learning needs and preferences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent (503/854) of all FACEM surveyed responded to the questionnaire, almost half of whom attained their FACEM after year 2000. The sample comprised mostly males (72.8%) with mean age of the sample 41.6 years, similar to ACEM database. Most respondents reported working in ACEM accredited hospitals (89%), major referral hospitals (54%), and practiced on both children and adults (78%). FACEM reported working on average 26.7 clinical hours per week with those at private hospitals working a greater proportion of clinical hours than other hospital types. CONCLUSION: As the first of six related reports, this paper documents the methodology used, including questionnaire development, and provides the demographics of responding FACEM, including the clinical and non-clinical hours worked and type of hospital of principal employment.