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Browsing by Author "Whitehead, Anne"
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Item A Lecture to Teach an Approach and Improve Resident Comfort in Leading Resuscitation of Young Infants in the Emergency Department(University of California, 2022-01-15) Whitehead, Anne; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineAudience: The intended audience of this lecture is emergency medicine residents at all levels of training. It is also appropriate for practicing emergency physicians interested in improving comfort in resuscitating sick young infants, ages 0-60 days. Introduction: The majority of sick and injured children in the United States are seen and treated in general emergency departments.1 This includes very young infants (0-60 days old) in need of immediate resuscitation. Resuscitation of children in this age group involves use of specific knowledge and skills that residents and emergency physicians in general have fewer opportunities to practice.2,3 Emergency medicine residents and practicing emergency physicians often report this as an area of particular discomfort in practice.4,5 It is important that the inconsistent and infrequent opportunities to resuscitate young infants during emergency medicine residency and beyond are supplemented by residency didactics that focus on improving comfort and skills with this population of sick children. This lecture focuses on a practical approach intended to improve the relevant knowledge, skills, and confidence required to stabilize a critically ill young infant in a general emergency department. Educational objectives: By the end of this lecture, participants should be able to:Apply a consistent approach to the initial resuscitation of a critically ill young infant in the emergency department.Select appropriate medications and equipment for use in resuscitation of critically ill young infants.Describe the components of the Pediatric Assessment Triangle,6 which can be used to identify critically ill infants and children.Improve comfort in resuscitating young infants in the emergency department. Educational methods: This is a live lecture format using PowerPoint slides. The lecture emphasizes a practical approach to improve the skills and knowledge required for successful young infant resuscitation. It utilizes a case-based approach, and encourages the audience to determine next steps in care to mimic the real time decision-making required for care of critically ill young infants in the ED. Research methods: Learners were asked to fill out anonymous pre- and post quizzes immediately prior to and directly after the lecture was given. These surveys included questions to assess resident knowledge as well as resident comfort as it pertained to resuscitation of critically ill young infants. Results: Resident comfort with resuscitation of young infants improved with a mean Standard Deviation (SD) pre-lecture rating of 23.1(14.9) on a 100-point visual analog scale and a mean (SD) post lecture rating of 46.7(14.6). Resident performance on all knowledge base questions improved on the post-lecture quiz for all four questions asked. Discussion: This lecture was effective in improving emergency medicine resident comfort and practical knowledge pertaining to resuscitation of young infants in the emergency department. The emphasis on a practical approach was well received by the resident audience, and they engaged well with audience participation portions of the lecture. The impact of the lecture can be enhanced by having the lecturer share their own real-world experience of resuscitation of young infants in the emergency department during the discussion portions of the lecture.Item Assessment Of Need For Trauma Education For Pediatric Residents In The Emergency Department, And Creation Of A Video Module In Response(2020-03-06) Whitehead, Anne; Phillips, Brian; Haut, LindseyIntroduction: Over 200 learners rotate through our pediatric emergency department yearly, and roughly 130 of them are residents in a pediatrics (categorical or combined) residency program. For many of these residents, the pediatric emergency medicine rotation is one of the only opportunities for experience with pediatric trauma resuscitation. Consistently, residents have identified pediatric trauma as an area of discomfort within their practice. Trauma resuscitations in the emergency department are relatively infrequent, and high stakes, so are not ideal opportunities for novice learners. Simulation exists as part of the curriculum, but scheduling challenges make increasing this portion of the curriculum impractical. We sought to further explore resident experience with trauma resuscitation education, and to create a new approach to trauma education that would supplement the existing curriculum. Methods: We distributed 2 different surveys to all pediatric residents on their pediatric emergency medicine rotation: one prior to the start of the rotation, and one after completion. Survey data were collected anonymously and voluntarily, over the course of 1 year. Based on preliminary survey data and informal discussions with residents and education leadership, we conceived of the idea of a video as a novel educational tool to supplement our existing pediatric trauma curriculum. This would be viewed online, asynchronously, circumventing many of the practical challenges associated with increasing simulation or patient care time. We developed a script with an emphasis on a practical approach to running a pediatric trauma resuscitation. Results: Our survey data found that residents started their pediatric emergency medicine rotations with low confidence in leading trauma resuscitation, rating their confidence an average of 25.1 on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 1 to 100. There was a modest improvement after the rotation to 43.7. Anxiety about trauma resuscitation, however, remained high with a rating of 63.2 on a VAS of 1 to 100 before the rotation, and 62.5 after. At the end of their rotations, residents reported that patient care and simulation sessions both contributed a moderate amount (63.2 and 56.5 respectively on a VAS from 1 to 100), while self study only contributed a little (33.1). In response to these data, we created a trauma education video for residents rotating through the pediatric emergency department. The video was filmed in one of our own trauma resuscitation rooms in the Riley Pediatric Emergency Department with our own nurses and Emergency Medicine/Pediatrics residents, with technical support from IU Collaboration Technologies and Classroom Support. Conclusions: Our survey data confirmed the need for improvement in education on pediatric trauma resuscitation. Results suggest residents find that more “hands on” opportunities contribute more to their education, but there remain significant challenges to increasing these opportunities. We are hopeful that the practical emphasis of our pediatric trauma education video will improve the effectiveness over other self-study modalities already in existence. In the coming months, we intend to incorporate the video into the online education modules and investigate its impact on resident confidence and comfort with pediatric trauma resuscitation.Item Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome Presenting as a Stroke in an 11-Year-Old with Lupus(Hindawi, 2022-05-13) Senken, Brooke; Whitehead, Anne; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineCatastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is an infrequent but feared life-threatening complication of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). CAPS is characterized by the rapid development of numerous thromboses across multiple organs resulting in multiorgan failure. It is rare but well-documented in the adult population. In contrast, it is exceedingly uncommon in pediatric patients and therefore not yet well described in the pediatric literature. Early recognition of APS is of the utmost importance to provide timely and effective management for a positive outcome. We present the case of an 11-year-old girl with history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hypertension (HTN) who presented with acute onset altered mental status, found to have a large ischemic middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) stroke as well as multiple, diffuse, and smaller ischemic lesions in the frontal lobe and cerebellum. Her presentation was further complicated by thrombocytopenia and renal and splenic infarction, as well as thrombosis of the right brachial vein consistent with a diagnosis of CAPS.Item Emerging and Re-emerging Infections in Children: COVID/ MIS-C, Zika, Ebola, Measles, Varicella, Pertussis ... Immunizations(Elsevier, 2021-08) Chen, Carol C.; Whitehead, Anne; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineThe role of the emergency provider lies at the forefront of recognition and treatment of novel and re-emerging infectious diseases in children. Familiarity with disease presentations that might be considered rare, such as vaccine-preventable and non-endemic illnesses, is essential in identifying and controlling outbreaks. As we have seen thus far in the novel coronavirus pandemic, susceptibility, severity, transmission, and disease presentation can all have unique patterns in children. Emergency providers also have the potential to play a public health role by using lessons learned from the phenomena of vaccine hesitancy and refusal.Item A Resident Morbidity and Mortality Conference Curriculum to Teach Identification of Cognitive Biases, Errors, and Debiasing Strategies(AAMC, 2021-10) Whitehead, Anne; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineIntroduction: The morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference has long been a part of the education of residents of all specialties in the United States, yet its structure is variable across training programs. Recent literature has described the use of M&M as a forum for education in quality improvement methodology; however, a structure focusing on education in cognitive biases and errors has not been previously described in MedEdPORTAL. Methods: This structured M&M conference series called upon resident presenters and peers in the audience to examine cognitive biases and errors involved in specific patient cases. Associated materials included preparatory guidelines provided to faculty advisors and resident presenters, a presentation template used during the introductory session, and a handout used during the discussion portions of presentations. Results: During the 2019–2020 academic year, a total of 24 PGY 2 pediatrics residents presented M&M cases. They identified a mean of 3.7 (SD = 1.9) cognitive biases and/or errors per case and a mean of 1.7 (SD = 0.7) debiasing strategies per case. Peers in the audience were also successful in identifying potential biases and errors at play during presentations. Discussion: We found that through this M&M conference structure, residents were able to demonstrate the ability to identify cognitive errors and biases both within themselves and in peers. This provided an effective forum for the identification and discussion of debiasing strategies, even when the series was forced to transition to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Item The use of peer support groups for emergency physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic(Wiley, 2023-02-19) Nault Connors, Jill; Thornsberry, Tanner; Hayden, Julie; Kroenke, Kurt; Monahan, Patrick O.; Draucker, Claire; Wasmuth, Sally; Kelker, Heather; Whitehead, Anne; Welch, Julie; Surgery, School of MedicineObjective: To test the feasibility, receptivity, and preliminary effectiveness of peer support groups for emergency medicine physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and gain a better understanding of their experiences with peer support. Methods: This pilot study used a quasi-experimental design to assess change in symptoms of distress, anxiety, depression and burn-out before and after participating in a virtual, group-based peer support intervention for a duration of 8 weeks. Pre-post change analyses were performed using two-sided, paired t tests. Feasibility was measured by attendance data to demonstrate the use of the intervention. Receptivity was measured using a global change rating and net promoter score at the end of each session and 8-week period, respectively. During the final session, qualitative data on physician experience was collected and then analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Twenty-four emergency medicine physicians participated in the pilot study. The attendance goal was met by 20 (24, 83%) physicians and 19 (22, 86%) physicians reported they would recommend peer support groups to a friend of colleague. Positive standardized response mean effect sizes indicated modest improvement in nine of 12 symptom measurements with marginal significance (p < 0.10) for improvement in guilt [20, Effect Size (ES) = 0.45] and depression (21, ES = 0.39). Qualitative findings revealed high overall benefit with few adverse impacts of participation. Conclusions: Results demonstrate high physician receptivity, feasibility, and benefit from participation in peer support groups. Promising signs of improvement in distress, anxiety, depression, and burn out symptoms warrant additional studies with larger sample sizes and more robust research designs to establish the evidence base for peer support in the physician population.Item Use of the “Future Life Map” exercise to improve awareness of career options and opportunities in underrepresented minority undergraduate students pursuing STEM careers(PLOS, 2022-02-10) Whitehead, Anne; Alves, Nathan J.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineObjectives: There has long existed significant underrepresentation of minority students in STEM training and careers. Ongoing efforts to improve opportunities and participation for underrepresented minority students have focused on multiple areas, from increased funding to early exposure to research in STEM. We developed the novel Future Life Map career planning exercise with the goal of contributing to this multi-faceted approach. The exercise emphasizes on the consideration of multiple potential career destinations and routes to those destination. The exercise was designed with the goal of improving participant awareness of options and career planning self-efficacy to improve success and retention of underrepresented minority student participation and retention in STEM. Methods: We implemented the Future Life Map exercise with 2 separate groups of under-represented minority undergraduate students pursuing careers in STEM. Participants then completed an anonymous survey to evaluate the exercise and describe the value they derived from completing the Future Life Map. Results: The exercise presentation and its supporting documents were highly rated by participants with >81% of respondents rating it as "very informative" (4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert Scale). Participants reported that they were very likely to recommend the exercise to others (25 of 27 participants) and were likely to repeat the activity for their own future decision making (22 participants). Themes that emerged from participant reporting of the value of the exercise were: increased awareness of career and training options, improved understanding of the research required to make informed career/life decisions, and new awareness of specific information about career options under consideration. Conclusion: The Future Life Map exercise was successful in improving participant awareness of career options, career planning ability, and helped participants to feel more empowered. This is likely of particular benefit for improving participation and retention of under-represented minority students pursuing careers in STEM.