BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) National Center for Patient Safety developed a cognitive aid to help anesthesiologists manage rare, high-mortality adverse events. METHODS: Six months after the aids were sent to VHA facilities with anesthesia machines, anesthesia providers were surveyed about their knowledge and use of the aid. RESULTS: Seven percent of respondents had used the cognitive aid in an emergency ("emergent users"). Most (87%) of respondents were aware of the aid. Half used it only as a reference ("reference users"), 30% were nonusers, and 13% of respondents were unaware of the aid. User groups did not differ regarding exposure to emergencies. All emergent users reported that it helped during an emergency, and 93% reported that it was well designed and easy to use. Emergent users were more likely than other groups to have first found out about it through formal orientation (53%; p < .001). Nonusers (46%) and reference users (38%) were more likely than emergent users (30%) and those who never saw it (5%) to have first found out about it through informal communication with a colleague (p = < 0.001). The majority of those who never saw the aid first became aware of it through this survey (71%; p < .001). The aid was used most commonly for difficult airway. DISCUSSION: A cognitive aid for use in rare emergencies proved clinically useful to anesthesia providers.
BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) National Center for Patient Safety developed a cognitive aid to help anesthesiologists manage rare, high-mortality adverse events. METHODS: Six months after the aids were sent to VHA facilities with anesthesia machines, anesthesia providers were surveyed about their knowledge and use of the aid. RESULTS: Seven percent of respondents had used the cognitive aid in an emergency ("emergent users"). Most (87%) of respondents were aware of the aid. Half used it only as a reference ("reference users"), 30% were nonusers, and 13% of respondents were unaware of the aid. User groups did not differ regarding exposure to emergencies. All emergent users reported that it helped during an emergency, and 93% reported that it was well designed and easy to use. Emergent users were more likely than other groups to have first found out about it through formal orientation (53%; p < .001). Nonusers (46%) and reference users (38%) were more likely than emergent users (30%) and those who never saw it (5%) to have first found out about it through informal communication with a colleague (p = < 0.001). The majority of those who never saw the aid first became aware of it through this survey (71%; p < .001). The aid was used most commonly for difficult airway. DISCUSSION: A cognitive aid for use in rare emergencies proved clinically useful to anesthesia providers.
Authors: Scott C Watkins; Shilo Anders; Anna Clebone; Elisabeth Hughes; Laura Zeigler; Vikram Patel; Yaping Shi; Matthew S Shotwell; Matthew McEvoy; Matthew B Weinger Journal: J Clin Monit Comput Date: 2015-06-12 Impact factor: 2.502
Authors: Jasmeet Soar; Mary E Mancini; Farhan Bhanji; John E Billi; Jennifer Dennett; Judith Finn; Matthew Huei-Ming Ma; Gavin D Perkins; David L Rodgers; Mary Fran Hazinski; Ian Jacobs; Peter T Morley Journal: Resuscitation Date: 2010-10 Impact factor: 5.262
Authors: Michael St Pierre; Georg Breuer; Dieter Strembski; Christopher Schmitt; Bjoern Luetcke Journal: BMC Anesthesiol Date: 2017-05-30 Impact factor: 2.217
Authors: Michael St Pierre; Bjoern Luetcke; Dieter Strembski; Christopher Schmitt; Georg Breuer Journal: BMC Anesthesiol Date: 2017-03-20 Impact factor: 2.217