An Assessment of Combat Medic Supraglottic Airway Device Design Needs Using a Qualitative Methods Approach: A...

Airway obstruction is the second leading cause of potentially preventable death on the battlefield during the recent conflicts. Previous studies have noted challenges with enrolling medics using quantitative methods, with specific challenges related to limited prior experience with the devices presented. This limited the ability to truly assess the efficacy of a particular device. We sought to implement a qualitative methods design for supraglottic airway (SGA) device testing.

We performed prospective, qualitative-designed studies in serial to discover emerging themes on interview. We obtained consent and demographic information from all participants. Medics were presented 2-3 airway devices in the same session with formal training by a physician with airway expertise to include practice application and troubleshooting. Semi-structured interviews were used after the training to obtain end-user feedback with a focus on emerging themes.

Of the 77 medics surveyed and interviewed, the median age was 24, and 86% were male. During the interview sessions, we noted five emerging themes: (1) insertion, which pertains to the ease or complexity of using the devise; (2) material, which pertains to the tactile features of the device; (3) versatility, which pertains to the conditions in which the device can be used as well as with which other devices it can be used; (4) portability, which refers to how and where the device is stored and carried; and (5) training, which refers to the ease and frequency of initial and ongoing training to sustain medics' technical capability when using the device.

In our preliminary analysis after enrolling 77 medics, we noted 5 emerging themes focused on insertion material, versatility, portability, and training methodology. Our results will inform the future enrollment sessions with a goal of narrowing the market options from themes to ideal device or devices or modifications needed for the operational environment.