Air Medical Curricula in Emergency Medicine Residencies: A National Survey.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine if a common air medical curriculum exists among Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) emergency medicine (EM) residencies.


METHODS
Institutional review board exemption was obtained. A cross-sectional survey study design was used. All ACGME-approved EM residencies as of February 2013 were identified, and the program directors were e-mailed a 3-question survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each response, and a response bias analysis was completed.


RESULTS
All 160 ACGME EM residencies were contacted by e-mail. One hundred six (66%) programs responded. Sixty-nine (65%) of the respondents offered an air medical experience. Only 25 of the 69 (36%) stated that they had a formal air medical curriculum, and 15 programs provided a copy of their curriculum. Protocol education was present in 80% of programs. Safety training was present in 60% of the programs. Financial education was present in 7% of programs. There was no statistically significant difference between responders and nonresponders except for residency class size.


CONCLUSIONS
After 30 years of published articles and position statements calling for standardized air medical resident crew member training, there is still no standardized training program among emergency medicine residencies.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI. Electronic address: mastenbrook@gmail.com.
Joshua
J
Mastenbrook
Department of Emergency Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI.
Paul
P
Savino
West Michigan AirCare, Kalamazoo, MI.
Paul
P
Mazurek
West Michigan AirCare, Kalamazoo, MI.
Jan
J
Eichel
Department of Emergency Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI.
William
W
Selde
Department of Emergency Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI.
Glenn
G
Ekblad
D017732:Air Ambulances; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014481:United States