Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Quality Improvement in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Building a Global Learning Community

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Otolaryngology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Virtual learning surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet its efficacy in medical education remains under-documented.
• Tracheostomy care requires continuous education for multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a global, multidisciplinary e-learning initiative for tracheostomy care.
• To assess participant engagement, skill acquisition, and confidence levels in tracheostomy management through virtual platforms.

Main Methods:

• An international expert panel developed a 12-month virtual learning community with a web platform and interactive webinars.
• Pre- and post-webinar surveys assessed participant demographics, confidence, and skill acquisition across various care settings.
• Global participants included otolaryngologists, intensivists, nurses, allied health professionals, patients, and caregivers.

Main Results:

• 197 institutions across 22 countries participated, demonstrating broad engagement.
• Significant improvements were observed in communication, clinical assessments, and clinical governance (P < .0001).
• Positive impacts noted in pediatric and adult decannulation rates and quality improvement initiatives (P = .0008 and P < .0001, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Virtual learning is a feasible and scalable method for disseminating tracheostomy best practices to a diverse audience.
• While knowledge transfer was successful, mastering complex technical skills necessitates hands-on experience.
• Further research is needed to optimize online strategies for experiential learning and virtual simulations in tracheostomy care.