Global Collaboration to Modernize Advanced Trauma Life Support Training.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) program historically utilized live animals for surgical skills training.
• Concerns over animal welfare and advancements in simulation technology have driven a shift away from animal use.
• Over 99% of ATLS programs in the US and Canada have ceased animal utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an international survey on animal versus simulation use in ATLS programs.
• To summarize the impact of a collaboration between an industry manufacturer and an NGO on replacing animal use in ATLS.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of human simulators in surgical training.

Main Methods:

• Formal surveys were emailed to ATLS officials in 64 countries from 2012-2017.
• A response rate of 87.5% was achieved, including pre- and post-collaboration data.
• The study involved a collaboration to donate human simulators to ATLS programs.

Main Results:

• Initially, 32.1% of surveyed programs used non-animal methods, while 67.8% used animals, citing cost as a barrier.
• A collaboration donated 119 TraumaMan simulators, valued at nearly $3 million, to ATLS programs.
• Following the collaboration, 75% of surveyed programs exclusively use non-animal simulation models.

Conclusions:

• An industry-NGO collaboration successfully replaced animal use in 22 international ATLS programs.
• Non-animal simulation models are more anatomically realistic and cost-effective.
• Simulation allows trainees to repeat surgical skills until proficiency is achieved.