ABSTRACT #41

Risk Reduction Residency Curriculum

Puja Singh MD, Allison Sauler MD, Elyse Lavine MD, Christopher Richardson MD, Catrina Cropano MD

Puja Singh, Allison Sauler, Elyse Lavine, Christopher Richardson, Catrina Cropano

PURPOSE AND GOALS: Patient safety and risk assessments are quickly gaining escalating interest in the healthcare arena globally, notably in emergency medicine (EM). Plagued by resource and staffing restraints compounded by high volume and acuity, the emergency department demands critical attentiveness to clinical care, patient safety, and documentation. Thus, EM training should directly address these key elements yet, there are very few EM training programs including this within their curriculum. While some programs offer administration, operations, and EMS electives, designated training in risk management and patient safety are often excluded. A fundamental understanding of these topics is imperative to offer safe, patient-centered, and cost-effective care. We propose a risk reduction series curriculum for EM residents in a 3 year ACGME training program.

METHODS: Conduct small group sessions led by an interdisciplinary panel of clinical physicians, risk experts, and litigation experts. Each session covers an organ system-based case reviewing the overall clinical care and litigious components. We then assess clinical and litigious knowledge gained from each session with a pre and post risk series survey.

EVALUATION PLAN: Residents will perform pre and post surveys after each risk series. They will additionally participate in an overall optional survey 2-3 times throughout the education year for feedback and residency education impact based on ACGME critical competencies.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS: The risk reduction series is highly regarded by residents. Of those who completed an interim risk series survey thus far, 92% feel that these sessions are helpful and useful in their learning. 93% look forward to these sessions as part of regularly scheduled residency conference. 100% feel that these sessions offer a novel and unique perspective to their education. 92% implement the topics discussed into their practice. Hearing the lawyer’s perspective during the litigation of each trial was unique and highly valued by residents.

REFLECTIVE CRITIQUE: A fundamental understanding of patient safety, adverse events, and risk assessment is imperative in providing high-quality, efficient, and patient- centered emergency care. Despite this, not many residency curriculums include these topics. We have created a risk series curriculum that has benefited and supplemented residents’ learning using an interdisciplinary team to improve patient safety and education in quality care. These sessions provide an innovative method to review patient cases, analyze risk,and learn from previous cases that have gone to litigation. Moreover, residents learn to reflect on management recommendations, improve documentation, and help build practice patterns.