title: Comprehensive Emergency Airway Response Team (EART) Training and Education: Impact on Team Effectiveness, Personnel Confidence, and Protocol Knowledge.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and utility of simulation of the Emergency Airway Response Team (EART) at a tertiary care hospital to improve team dynamics and confidence and knowledge in managing an emergency airway.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive, quantitative performance improvement study. From September 1, 2013, to December 1, 2013, 177 members of the EART from anesthesia, otolaryngology, trauma surgery, emergency medicine, ICU nursing, and respiratory therapy participated in emergency airway simulations. Team dynamics and confidence levels and knowledge of EART were assessed using pre-and post-simulation questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All participants regardless of their role, experience in the medical field, or any prior exposure to a difficult airway showed significant improvement in self-rated team participation and confidence and objective knowledge regarding EART after undergoing simulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study highlights the efficacy and utility of simulation in assessing personnel team dynamics and confidence levels and knowledge of emergency airway scenarios. Practitioners in all fields and level of experience benefit in EART training and simulation. We hope that with this information, we will be able to conduct future studies on reduction of patient morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA angela.tsai@bmc.org.
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Gintas P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Krisciunas
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Krystyne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Basa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crimlisk
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Therapy, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Grillone
mesh_terms: D058109:Airway Management; D000776:Anesthesiology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D064648:Critical Care Nursing; D004501:Education, Medical; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D057209:Hospital Rapid Response Team; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D010036:Otolaryngology; D024382:Professional Role; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012138:Respiratory Therapy; D000066908:Simulation Training; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000193:education*; D014194:Traumatology
keywords: cricothyrotomy; difficult airway; patient safety; simulation; teamwork