Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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As medical educators strive to adopt an evidence-based, outcomes-driven approach to teaching, education research in emergency medicine (EM) is burgeoning. Many educational challenges prompt specific research questions that are well suited to investigative study, but educators face numerous barriers to translating exciting ideas into research publications. ⋯ A common approach to curricular development is reviewed, as well as a fundamental overview of qualitative and quantitative methods that can be applied to educational research questions. Finally, suggestions for disseminating results and overcoming common barriers to conducting research are discussed.
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The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research studies published in 2010 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). ⋯ Forty-one EM educational studies published in 2010 were identified. This critical appraisal reviews and highlights five studies that met a priori quality indicators. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2010 papers are noted.
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Pain is the most common reason people visit emergency departments (EDs); this implies that emergency physicians (EPs) should be experts in managing acute painful conditions. The current trend in the literature, however, demonstrates that EPs possess inadequate knowledge and lack formal training in acute pain management. The purpose of this article is to create a formal educational curriculum that would assist emergency medicine (EM) residents in proper assessment and treatment of acute pain, as well as in providing a solid theoretical and practical knowledge base for managing acute pain in the ED. The authors propose a series of lectures, case-oriented study groups, practical small group sessions, and class-specific didactics with the goal of enhancing the theoretical and practical knowledge of acute pain management in the ED.
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Research in cognition has yielded considerable understanding of the diagnostic reasoning process and its evolution during clinical training. This study sought to determine whether or not this literature could be used to improve the assessment of trainees' diagnostic skill by manipulating testing conditions that encourage different modes of reasoning. ⋯ These results yield concrete guidance regarding test construction for the purpose of diagnostic skill assessment. The instruction strategy and complexity of cases selected should depend on the experience level and breadth of experience of the subjects one is attempting to assess.
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Comparative Study
Anterior versus lateral needle decompression of tension pneumothorax: comparison by computed tomography chest wall measurement.
Recent research describes failed needle decompression in the anterior position. It has been hypothesized that a lateral approach may be more successful. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal site for needle decompression. ⋯ With commonly available angiocatheters, the lateral approach is less likely to be successful than the anterior approach. The anterior approach may fail in many patients as well. Longer angiocatheters may increase the chances of decompression, but would also carry a higher risk of damage to surrounding vital structures.