Developing and Designing an Evidence-Informed Serratus Anterior Plane Block Education Program for Emergency Medicine

The aim of this paper is to describe the methods and processes used to develop a theory-informed, dedicated serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) education and training program for Emergency Medicine clinicians.

This program was informed by Kern's six-step approach to curriculum development. Firstly, expert consensus on education and training was developed using a modified Delphi process. Secondly, contemporary medical literature was incorporated with educational pedagogical theoretical frameworks including Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, backwards design, and constructive alignment, scaffolded learning, and segmented learning. Finally, these were aligned with existing national policies around regional anaesthesia in the Emergency Department.

The resultant SAPB evidence-based education package is supported by the most current evidence for using the SAPB as a regional anaesthesia procedure for patients with rib fracture pain. It serves as an educational tool for clinicians already proficient in the principles of plane blocks with additional guidance on establishing local workshops for practical education as well as ongoing supervision and governance for this procedure.

The development of a theory-informed, dedicated SAPB education and training program for Emergency Medicine clinicians required a balanced combination of clinical science and procedural expertise with educational theory. This provides a framework for future works when developing educational resources to introduce new clinical procedures into routine Emergency Medicine practice.