Dissemination, Utilization, and Satisfaction With Emergency Medicine Resident Simulation Curriculum for Pediatrics (EM ReSCu Peds) by North American Residency Programs

Abstract

Objectives: Our research team's primary objective was to investigate how a custom standard simulation curriculum for teaching emergency medicine residents about pediatrics was being used by programs across North America. We also wanted to know if program directors were satisfied with the curriculum and whether they had challenges with implementing it. Our long-term goal is to promote the Emergency Medicine Resident Simulation Curriculum for Pediatrics for use by all programs in the United States.

Methods: We distributed an electronic questionnaire to individuals who have downloaded the Emergency Medicine Resident Simulation Curriculum for Pediatrics in the form of an e-book from the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine Web site. The curriculum was marketed through national emergency medicine (EM) and pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) groups, PEM listserv, and through the International Network for Simulation-Based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education. We asked survey recipients how they used the curriculum, plans for future maintenance, satisfaction with curriculum use, and whether they had any challenges with implementation. Finally, we asked demographic questions.

Results: Most survey respondents were EM or PEM health care physicians in the United States or Canada. Respondents' primary goal of using the curriculum was resident education. Through assessment with the Net Promoter Score, satisfaction with the curriculum was net positive with users largely scoring as curriculum promoters. We found COVID-19 and overall time limitations to be implementation barriers, whereas learner interest in topics was the largest cited facilitator. Most responders plan to continue to implement either selected cases or the entire curriculum in the future.

Conclusions: Of those who responded, our target audience of EM physicians used our curriculum the most. Further investigation on implementation needs, specifically for lower resource emergency programs, is needed.