Animal procedure laboratory surveys: use of the animal laboratory to improve physician confidence and ability.

Animal laboratories have been used for many years to teach procedures. Our department has a weekly swine laboratory devoted to training residents, interns and students in resuscitative procedures. Physicians who participated in our swine procedure laboratory over the past three years were queried as to their prelaboratory and postlaboratory comfort levels with six different resuscitative procedures, and 57 (76%) physicians responded. Statistical analysis of the data showed significant improvement in comfort levels for all six procedures. Every responder felt the swine laboratory helped or will help them perform the procedures on humans. We also surveyed all U.S. emergency medicine residency program directors from established programs regarding the status of their animal procedure laboratories, and 67 of the 68 (98%) directors responded. Of these responders, 62% offer an animal procedure laboratory. Overall, 97% of the residency directors rated the laboratory successful, and 97% of the residents rated the laboratory successful. Therefore, we conclude that an ongoing emergency medicine animal procedure laboratory is a valuable tool for improving physician-in-training ability and confidence.