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Impediments to and impact of checklists on performance of emergency interventions in primary care : an in situ simulation-based randomized controlled trial

Dryver, Eric LU ; Knutsson, Jeanette LU ; Ekelund, Ulf LU orcid and Bergenfelz, Anders LU (2021) In Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 39(4). p.438-447
Abstract

Objective: Medical crises occur rather seldom in the primary care setting, but when they do, initial management impacts on morbidity and mortality. Factors that impede the performance of emergency interventions in primary care have not been studied through in-situ simulation. Checklists reportedly improve crisis management. Design: This randomized controlled trial evaluated emergency intervention performance during two scenarios (hypoglycemia-coma and anaphylaxis-cardiac arrest) simulated at primary care centers, and whether checklist access improved performance. Setting: Twenty-two primary care centers in Southern Sweden participated in the study. Subjects: A total of 347 personnel performed 100 simulations, 45 with and 55 without... (More)

Objective: Medical crises occur rather seldom in the primary care setting, but when they do, initial management impacts on morbidity and mortality. Factors that impede the performance of emergency interventions in primary care have not been studied through in-situ simulation. Checklists reportedly improve crisis management. Design: This randomized controlled trial evaluated emergency intervention performance during two scenarios (hypoglycemia-coma and anaphylaxis-cardiac arrest) simulated at primary care centers, and whether checklist access improved performance. Setting: Twenty-two primary care centers in Southern Sweden participated in the study. Subjects: A total of 347 personnel performed 100 simulations, 45 with and 55 without checklist access. Main outcome measures: Time and impediments to performance of five emergency interventions in each scenario. Results: On 28 of the 37 occasions when the adrenalin auto-injector was employed, the administration technique was incorrect. In 9 of 49 scenarios, teams had trouble locating the 30% glucose solution. Median time to supplemental oxygen administration during the first scenario was 186 s compared with 96 s during the second scenario (p < 0.001). Checklist access had no significant impact on time to performance of emergency interventions, aside from shorter time to adequate glucose or glucagon administration (median times 632 s with, 756 s without checklist access; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Unfamiliarity with local emergency equipment impedes the performance of emergency interventions during crises simulated in the primary care setting. Simply providing checklist access does not improve the performance of emergency interventions.KEY POINTS Little is known about the factors that affect the performance of emergency interventions in the primary care setting. Unfamiliarity with local emergency equipment impedes the performance of emergency interventions during crises simulated in the primary care setting. Simply providing crisis checklist access does not improve the performance of emergency interventions in the primary care setting.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Checklist, emergencies, patient safety, primary health care, simulation training
in
Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
volume
39
issue
4
pages
438 - 447
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85114777182
  • pmid:34515607
ISSN
0281-3432
DOI
10.1080/02813432.2021.1973250
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
135cc89b-4172-4948-861c-1b98d6ac895d
date added to LUP
2021-10-12 15:08:04
date last changed
2024-06-16 20:39:20
@article{135cc89b-4172-4948-861c-1b98d6ac895d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: Medical crises occur rather seldom in the primary care setting, but when they do, initial management impacts on morbidity and mortality. Factors that impede the performance of emergency interventions in primary care have not been studied through in-situ simulation. Checklists reportedly improve crisis management. Design: This randomized controlled trial evaluated emergency intervention performance during two scenarios (hypoglycemia-coma and anaphylaxis-cardiac arrest) simulated at primary care centers, and whether checklist access improved performance. Setting: Twenty-two primary care centers in Southern Sweden participated in the study. Subjects: A total of 347 personnel performed 100 simulations, 45 with and 55 without checklist access. Main outcome measures: Time and impediments to performance of five emergency interventions in each scenario. Results: On 28 of the 37 occasions when the adrenalin auto-injector was employed, the administration technique was incorrect. In 9 of 49 scenarios, teams had trouble locating the 30% glucose solution. Median time to supplemental oxygen administration during the first scenario was 186 s compared with 96 s during the second scenario (p &lt; 0.001). Checklist access had no significant impact on time to performance of emergency interventions, aside from shorter time to adequate glucose or glucagon administration (median times 632 s with, 756 s without checklist access; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Unfamiliarity with local emergency equipment impedes the performance of emergency interventions during crises simulated in the primary care setting. Simply providing checklist access does not improve the performance of emergency interventions.KEY POINTS Little is known about the factors that affect the performance of emergency interventions in the primary care setting. Unfamiliarity with local emergency equipment impedes the performance of emergency interventions during crises simulated in the primary care setting. Simply providing crisis checklist access does not improve the performance of emergency interventions in the primary care setting.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dryver, Eric and Knutsson, Jeanette and Ekelund, Ulf and Bergenfelz, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0281-3432}},
  keywords     = {{Checklist; emergencies; patient safety; primary health care; simulation training}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{438--447}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care}},
  title        = {{Impediments to and impact of checklists on performance of emergency interventions in primary care : an in situ simulation-based randomized controlled trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2021.1973250}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02813432.2021.1973250}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}