TITLE:
Exploration of the Barriers and Education Needs of Non-Pediatric Hospital Emergency Department Providers in Pediatric Trauma Care
AUTHORS:
Tricia Falgiani, Christopher Kennedy, Sara Jahnke
KEYWORDS:
Pediatric Trauma; Education; High Fidelity Simulation; Community Emergency Department
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Clinical Medicine,
Vol.5 No.2,
January
24,
2014
ABSTRACT: Study Objective: Nine million children are seen in
emergency departments each year for traumatic injuries. Eighty percent of these
children will be cared for in non-children’s hospital settings. We sought to
understand the barriers and opportunities for optimal pediatric trauma care in
non-pediatric emergency departments and to define practice-specific educational
needs. Methods: This qualitative study
consisted of focus groups from rural, regional and urban non-pediatric
emergency department sites discussing pediatric trauma care. Groups were
homogenous for the provider role and included 8 physician
groups and 9 non-physician groups. Focus groups were led by a trained moderator
using a discussion guide composed of open-ended questions which covered various
topics of pediatric trauma care. Focus groups were audio-taped and later
transcribed and the data were analyzed for major themes and key
concepts. Results: A total of 107 providers
participated in the focus groups (32 physicians and 75 non-physicians). Barriers
to provide optimal pediatric trauma care
expressed by providers included the lack of pediatric trauma experience,
inadequate pediatric trauma training and the lack of confidence
with assessment of the pediatric trauma patient. All providers across all types
of hospitals indicated a need and interest in training focused on pediatric
trauma, but topics covered, and skills needed varied by type of facility. Conclusions: Community
emergency room providers indicated a need for pediatric trauma education. Specifically,
hands-on training with high-fidelity simulation was identified as the most
useful type of training to gain the skills and confidence needed to manage
pediatric trauma patients in their emergency departments.