Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2012
Pre-anaesthesia residency requirements: what provides a solid foundation?
The specialty of anaesthesiology has expanded from the intra-operative management of the surgical patient undergoing an operative procedure to the perioperative management of patients undergoing procedures. The perioperative management involves the preoperative evaluation and preparation and also involves the postoperative management of the patient. To effectively perform these functions, a solid foundation in cardiology, pulmonary Medicine, critical care Medicine and pain medicine is mandatory. After completing the required courses in medical school, electives in these areas will prepare the student for further training in anaesthesiology.
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The last 20 years has seen many changes in medical education, with reforms taking place in undergraduate health-care studies with the application of the Bologna principles and also transfer of the same educational principles to postgraduate medical specialty training. It is the aim of this article to grossly sketch and contextualise these reforms in the rapidly evolving European Union, before defining harmonisation of the medical postgraduate training and the bodies involved in this process; thereafter, the authors try to present the potential consensus points that can make the process of harmonisation in anaesthesiology postgraduate training in Europe become a reality. Finally, a brief outline of the potential challenges concludes the paper.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2012
Simulation for quality assurance in training, credentialing and maintenance of certification.
Simulation has become ubiquitous in medical education over the last decade. However, while many health-care professions and disciplines have embraced the use of simulation for training, its use for high-stakes testing and credentialing is less well established. This chapter explores the incorporation of simulation into training requirements and board certification, and its role for quality assurance of educational programmes and professional competence. ⋯ The driving forces that support the simulation movement are outlined. Accreditation bodies have mandated simulation in training and maintenance of certification. It may be only a matter of time before simulation becomes one of the standards for performance assessment.
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Feedback is an integral part of the educational process. It provides learners with a comparison of their performance to educational goals with the aim of helping them achieve or exceed their goals. Effective feedback is delivered in an appropriate setting, focusses on performance and not the individual, is specific, is based on direct observation or objective date, is delivered using neutral, non-judgemental language and identifies actions or plans for improvement. ⋯ Reflection can help learners process negative feedback and allow them to develop and implement improvement plans. Both delivering and receiving feedback are skills that can be improved with training. Teachers have a duty to provide meaningful feedback to learners; learners should expect feedback and seek it.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2012
Information technology and its role in anaesthesia training and continuing medical education.
Today's educators are faced with substantial challenges in the use of information technology for anaesthesia training and continuing medical education. Millennial learners have uniquely different learning styles than previous generations of students. ⋯ Examples of new information technologies include learning management systems, lecture capture, social media (YouTube, Flickr), social networking (Facebook), Web 2.0, multimedia (video learning triggers and point-of-view video) and mobile computing applications. The information technology challenges for educators in the twenty-first century include: (a) understanding how technology shapes the learning preferences of today's anaesthesia residents, (b) distinguishing between the function and properties of new learning technologies and (c) properly using these learning technologies to enhance the anaesthesia curriculum.