title: Rapid Development and Deployment of Ebola Readiness Training Across an Academic Health System: The Critical Role of Simulation Education, Consulting, and Systems Integration.
abstract: In this article, we describe an Ebola preparedness initiative with implementation across an academic health system. Key stakeholder centers of various disciplines and clinical experts collaborated in the development and design. Subject matter experts in the areas of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization protocols for personal protective equipment donning and doffing conducted initial train-the-trainer sessions for program instructors. These trainers represented a cross-section of key clinical responders and environmental services. Through a parallel development process, a blended learning curriculum consisting of online modules followed by on-site training sessions was developed and implemented in both the simulation laboratory and the actual clinical care spaces in preparation for a Department of Health inspection. Lessons learned included identification of the need for iterative refinement based on instructor and trainee feedback, the lack of tolerance of practitioners in wearing full-body personal protective equipment for extended periods, and the ability of a large system to mount a rapid response to a potential public health threat through leveraging of expertise of its Simulation Program, Center for Quality, Safety and Innovation as well as a wide variety of clinical departments.
authors.affiliation: From the Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation, Education, and Research (P.E.P., J.M.O., D.F., T.D.); The Donald D. Wolff Jr. Center for Quality, Safety and Innovation at UPMC (K.B.); UPMC Health System (P.E.P., D.A., S.M.); University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing (J.M.O.); and Department of Emergency Medicine (P.E.P.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Phrampus
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brownlee
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dongilli
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000068156:Formative Feedback; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D020407:Internet; D000067393:Personal Protective Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000066908:Simulation Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States