title: Teaching Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS): A nationwide retrospective analysis of 8202 lessons taught in Germany.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether faculty who teach the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course would improve with experience and, correspondingly, ratings from course evaluations would increase.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of student evaluations of 262 ATLS courses held between 2008 and 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  All ATLS courses held between 2008 and 2012 nationwide in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  All ATLS student course evaluations covering 8202 lessons, 81 instructors, 36 course directors, and 5 coordinators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ATLS courses in Germany attained high levels of student satisfaction. Satisfaction levels increased steadily over the 5-year period studied. The entire staff influenced this finding. Teaching quality improved the most within the first 100 lessons taught. Skill stations received better evaluations than lectures, and local courses were less satisfactory than national course formats. The 2 demonstrations that open the course were the top rated events. Skill stations, including a human phantom, were highly rated; the cricothyrotomy station was top rated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The German ATLS course evaluations indicated steady improvement over the 5-year study. The level of experience of course coordinators, directors, and instructors influenced this finding. Teaching quality improved most within the first 100 lessons taught, and then reached a steady state. Skill stations received better evaluations than lectures, and local courses were less satisfactory than national course formats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Bern University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Luedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Krankenhaus Hetzelstift Neustadt, Neustadt/Weinstraße, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wölfl
authors.affiliation: Saint Mary's Hospital Vechta, Teaching Hospital of Hannover University, Vechta, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wieferich
authors.affiliation: University Hospital and National Trauma Centre of the University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Agron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogjani
authors.affiliation: PrognosiX AG, Richterswil, Switzerland; Institute of Applied Simulation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, Waedenswil, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kauf
authors.affiliation: Saint Mary's Hospital Vechta, Teaching Hospital of Hannover University, Vechta, Germany. Electronic address: dolld@gmx.de.
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doll
mesh_terms: D061906:Advanced Trauma Life Support Care / Q000379:methods*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014194:Traumatology / Q000193:education*
keywords: Advanced Trauma Life support care; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Professionalism; education; quality control; resuscitation; training