title: The use of cognitive task analysis to improve the learning of percutaneous tracheostomy placement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of using cognitive task analysis (CTA) to develop a curriculum to teach the behavioral skills and the cognitive strategies of a percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) placement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postgraduate 2, 3, and 4 general surgery residents were randomly assigned to either the CTA group (N = 9) or the control group (N = 11). The CTA group was taught percutaneous tracheostomy placement using the CTA curriculum. The control group received the traditional curriculum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CTA group performed significantly higher on the PT procedure at 1 month (CTA: 43.5 +/- 3.7, control 35.2 +/- 3.9, P = .001) and at 6 months post-instruction (CTA: 39.4 +/- 4.2, control: 31.8 +/- 5.8, P = .004). In addition, the CTA group demonstrated superior cognitive strategies than the control group (CTA: 25.4 +/- 5.3, control: 19.2 +/- 2.0, P = .004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of CTA was effective in improving the cognitive processes and technical skills of performing a PT for surgical residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. mesulliv@usc.edu
authors.forename: Maura E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Carlos V R
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Peyre
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Towfigh
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grunwald
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003071:Cognition; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000193:education*