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Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

(492) The Role of Interdepartmental Education on Tracheostomy Management

Monday, October 2, 2023
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Disclosure(s):
Andrew J. Maroda, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Christina N. Ward, MD, MS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Dhruv S. Kothari, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: To recognize the importance and responsibility we have as Otolaryngologists to educate providers on tracheostomy management. The primary initiative was to equip non-surgeon first responders with practical applications and confidence in managing tracheostomy care.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted between September 2022 and January 2023 involving emergency medicine (EM) residents, internal medicine (IM) residents, and intensive care unit (ICU) advanced practice providers across 4 tertiary hospitals. A targeted tracheostomy curriculum was developed in response to reported inexperience from associated providers and mismanagement of fundamental tracheostomy care. A pre-test objective knowledge survey (multiple choice) and self-assessment (Likert scale) were administered prior to the session, and a posttest was repeated at 3 months to assess competency and utilization.

Results: There were 68 total nonsurgical participants (6 ICU, 20 EM, 42 IM). Significant improvement (P < .05) was seen in overall knowledge score and comfort levels when comparing pre- and post-assessment scores. Of note, approximately 27.9% of subjects participated in a tracheostomy consultation after the education initiative. Within the 3 month period after training, 23.5% of subjects reported having encountered an issue that had been directly addressed in the lecture.

Conclusions: In all aspects of medical education, the most experienced providers carry the burden of educating others in their area of expertise. As Otolaryngologists, we must educate non surgeon first responders on tracheostomy management as this is not a focus of their curriculum. This interdepartmental education initiative led to overall improvement in knowledge and confidence in managing tracheostomy care.