Efficacy of a single-day task trainer-based extracorporeal membrane oxygenation training course

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cardiopulmonary Support
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is vital for respiratory and heart failure, with increased demand due to the pandemic.
• Limited availability of ECMO-equipped hospitals and trained personnel necessitates innovative training solutions.
• Personnel training can help address the growing demand for ECMO services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a task trainer-based Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) course.
• To determine the adequacy and scalability of this training model compared to live tissue training.
• To assess if the abbreviated course could be implemented in other facilities.

Main Methods:

• Seventeen physician-nurse teams completed a 5-hour accelerated ECMO course including lectures and hands-on simulation.
• Training involved circuit priming, cannulation, ECMO initiation, and complication management using a task trainer.
• Success was measured by knowledge/confidence assessments and observed skill performance on a swine model.

Main Results:

• All 17 teams completed the course, with 94% successfully initiating veno-arterial ECMO on a swine model.
• Fifteen teams (94%) successfully transitioned to veno-arterial-venous ECMO.
• Significant improvements were observed in knowledge (24.3% increase) and confidence levels post-training (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• An abbreviated, one-day, task trainer-based ECMO course effectively trained healthcare teams.
• The program demonstrated high success rates in skill demonstration and knowledge acquisition.
• This training model offers a viable alternative to traditional methods, improving ECMO readiness.