A Consensus List of Core Competencies in Emergency Airway Management for Graduating Emergency Physicians: A Modified...

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Education
• Airway Management

Background:

• Emergency airway management (EAM) is crucial in emergency medicine (EM).
• No standardized national curriculum currently exists for EM residency training.
• Current graduation requirements (e.g., 35 endotracheal intubations) represent a limited scope of EAM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a comprehensive, consensus-based list of EAM competencies for graduating EM residents.
• To establish a standardized framework for EAM education and assessment.
• To reduce variability in EAM training across residency programs.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi study was conducted with 13 national experts in EAM and education.
• An initial list of 215 topics across nine domains was developed via literature search and expert input.
• Iterative electronic surveys refined topics, with >80% agreement required for inclusion.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved after two Delphi rounds, narrowing the list to 148 essential EAM competencies.
• The competencies span nine domains, including principles, basic and advanced airway techniques, pharmacology, and special circumstances.
• Agreement levels were summarized using descriptive statistics.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive, expert-derived list of EAM competencies for EM residency graduates was established.
• This framework supports standardized, competency-based airway education and assessment in EM.
• Implementation may enhance physician preparedness and reduce national training variability.