[Position paper on working in the intensive care unit during pregnancy : DIVI recommendations for improving the situation of pregnant employees in the ICU]

The Maternity Protection Act is intended to protect the mother and the child from hazards, excessive demands and damage to health in the workplace, and from financial disadvantages and loss of employment. However, the objectives defined by the Maternity Protection Act-the safety and health of the pregnant employee on the one hand and the prevention of disadvantages in working life on the other-are not yet adequately achieved in the intensive care unit (ICU). Implementation of the Maternity Protection Act to the benefit of all involved parties should also be promoted in the specialist areas represented by the DIVI, in particular the work of pregnant physicians and nursing staff and other working specialists (respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychotherapists, and social workers) in the ICU. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the need to consider each pregnant and breastfeeding staff member individually and to work together to find a personal solution for continuing to work in the ICU. Possible ways and solutions to achieve this goal are outlined and practical examples are given for implementation in everyday clinical routine. These are also based on comprehensive presentation of activities according to a traffic light color-code system for all occupational groups. Arguments against pregnant employees working in the ICU are discussed and possible solutions are presented.

[Position paper on working in the intensive care unit during pregnancy : DIVI recommendations for improving the situation of pregnant employees in the ICU]

The Maternity Protection Act is intended to protect the mother and the child from hazards, excessive demands and damage to health in the workplace, and from financial disadvantages and loss of employment. However, the objectives defined by the Maternity Protection Act-the safety and health of the pregnant employee on the one hand and the prevention of disadvantages in working life on the other-are not yet adequately achieved in the intensive care unit (ICU). Implementation of the Maternity Protection Act to the benefit of all involved parties should also be promoted in the specialist areas represented by the DIVI, in particular the work of pregnant physicians and nursing staff and other working specialists (respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychotherapists, and social workers) in the ICU. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the need to consider each pregnant and breastfeeding staff member individually and to work together to find a personal solution for continuing to work in the ICU. Possible ways and solutions to achieve this goal are outlined and practical examples are given for implementation in everyday clinical routine. These are also based on comprehensive presentation of activities according to a traffic light color-code system for all occupational groups. Arguments against pregnant employees working in the ICU are discussed and possible solutions are presented.

[Recommendations for Education in Sonography in Prehospital Emergency Medicine (pPOCUS): Consensus paper of DGINA, DGAI, BAND, BV-ÄLRD, DGU, DIVI and DGIIN]

Point-of-care sonography is a precondition in acute and emergency medicine for the diagnosis and initiation of therapy for critically ill and injured patients. While emergency sonography is a mandatory part of the training for clinical acute and emergency medicine, it is not everywhere required for prehospital emergency medicine. Although some medical societies in Germany have already established their own learning concepts for emergency ultrasound, a uniform national training concept for the use of emergency sonography in the out-of-hospital setting is still lacking. Experts of several professional medical societies have therefore joined forces and developed a structured training concept for emergency sonography in the prehospital setting. The consensus paper serves as quality assurance in prehospital emergency sonography.

[DIVI-Recommendations on the infrastruture of adult intensive care units]

This document on the Structure and Equipment for Intensive Care Units of the German Association for Intensive and Emergency Care (DIVI) aims at providing guidance and recommendations for the requirements of (infra)structure, personal, and organization of intensive care units. The recommendations are based on a systematic literature search and a formal consensus process from a group of multi-disciplinary and multiprofessional specialists from the DIVI. The recommendations comprise a 3-staged level of intensive care units, a 3-staged level of care with respect to severity of illness, the staffing requirement of physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists, and other specialists. Furthermore, proposals concerning the equipment and the construction of ICUs are supplied.

[Recommendations for Education in Sonography in Prehospital Emergency Medicine (pPOCUS): Consensus paper of DGINA, DGAI, BAND, BV-ÄLRD, DGU, DIVI and DGIIN]

Point-of-care sonography is a precondition in acute and emergency medicine for the diagnosis and initiation of therapy for critically ill and injured patients. While emergency sonography is a mandatory part of the training for clinical acute and emergency medicine, it is not everywhere required for prehospital emergency medicine. Although some medical societies in Germany have already established their own learning concepts for emergency ultrasound, a uniform national training concept for the use of emergency sonography in the out-of-hospital setting is still lacking. Experts of several professional medical societies have therefore joined forces and developed a structured training concept for emergency sonography in the prehospital setting. The consensus paper serves as quality assurance in prehospital emergency sonography.

Empfehlungen zur Sonografieausbildung in der prähospitalen Notfallmedizin (pPOCUS): Konsensuspapier von DGINA, DGAI, BAND, BV-ÄLRD, DGU, DIVI und DGIIN

Die Point-of-Care-Sonografie ist in der Akut- und Notfallmedizin ein fester Bestandteil der Diagnostik und Therapieeinleitung von kritisch kranken und verletzten Patienten. Während die Notfallsonografie im Rahmen der Zusatzweiterbildung für klinische Akut- und Notfallmedizin vorausgesetzt wird, wird diese für die prähospitale Notfallmedizin lediglich im (Muster-)Kursbuch Allgemeine und spezielle Notfallbehandlung als Weiterbildungsinhalt definiert. Obwohl einige Fachgesellschaften in Deutschland bereits eigene Lernkonzepte für die Notfallsonografie etabliert haben, fehlt bis dato ein einheitliches nationales Ausbildungskonzept für den Einsatz der Notfallsonografie im prähospitalem Umfeld. Experten mehrerer Fachgesellschaften haben daher als Empfehlung für die notfallmedizinische Weiterbildung ein Kurskonzept für die spezielle Ausbildung in der prähospitalen Notfallsonografie erarbeitet, welche gleichermaßen zu deren Qualitätssicherung beitragen soll.

Recommendations on the structure, personal, and organization of intensive care units

Background

Intensive care units (ICU) are central facilities of medical care in hospitals world-wide and pose a significant financial burden on the health care system.

Objectives

To provide guidance and recommendations for the requirements of (infra)structure, personal, and organization of intensive care units.

Design and setting

Development of recommendations based on a systematic literature search and a formal consensus process from a group of multidisciplinary and multiprofessional specialists from the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI). The grading of the recommendation follows the report from an American College of Chest Physicians Task Force.

Results

The recommendations cover the fields of a 3-staged level of intensive care units, a 3-staged level of care with respect to severity of illness, qualitative and quantitative requirements of physicians and nurses as well as staffing with physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists, palliative medicine and other specialists, all adapted to the 3 levels of ICUs. Furthermore, proposals concerning the equipment and the construction of ICUs are supplied.

Conclusion

This document provides a detailed framework for organizing and planning the operation and construction/renovation of ICUs.

[Conservative management of distal radius fractures]

Distal radius fractures are the third most frequent fractures in Germany. The decision for conservative treatment and the weighing up of surgical treatment need an exact consideration of the indications based on instability criteria and the extent of possible articular involvement. Indications for an emergency operation must be excluded. In cases of stable fractures or multimorbid patients in a poor general condition conservative treatment is indicated. The principles for a successful treatment are the precise reduction and stable retention in a plaster splint. In the further course, fractures are closely monitored by biplanar radiography. This is necessary to rule out a secondary displacement until the swelling of the soft tissues has subsided and the plaster splint is changed to a circular cast approximately 11 days after the traumatic event. The total duration of immobilization is 4 weeks. Physiotherapy and ergotherapy including adjacent joints, starts after 2 weeks of treatment. This treatment is extended to the wrist after removal of the circular cast.

A statistical model to predict the occurrence of blunt impact injuries on the human hand-arm system

Biomechanical limits based on pain thresholds ensure safety in workplaces where humans and cobots (collaborative robots) work together. Standardization bodies' decision to rely on pain thresholds stems from the assumption that such limits inherently protect humans from injury. This assumption has never been verified, though. This article reports on a study with 22 human subjects in which we studied injury onset in four locations of the hand-arm system using an impact pendulum. During the tests, the impact intensity was slowly increased over several weeks until a blunt injury, i.e., bruising or swelling, appeared in the body locations under load. A statistical model, which calculates injury limits for a given percentile, was developed based on the data. A comparison of our injury limits for the 25th percentile with existing pain limits confirms that pain limits provide suitable protection against impact injuries, albeit not for all body locations.

Innovative fakultative Seminarkonzepte besonders klinisch-praktisch ausgerichteter Lehre zur Famulatur- und PJ-Vorbereitung aus spezifisch chirurgischer Sicht

Hintergrund

Die großen Praxisphasen der Famulaturen und des Praktischen Jahres (PJ) nehmen für Medizinstudierende eine besondere Stellung innerhalb ihres Kurrikulums ein.

Ziel

Bezüglich Famulatur und PJ in der medizinischen Ausbildung wird exemplarisch ein Konzept zu vorbereitenden Seminarreihen einschließlich initialer Praxiserfahrungen vorgestellt.

Methode

Es wird eine narrative Übersicht gegeben.

Ergebnisse

Als gemeinsames Ziel der fakultativ initiierten Lehrveranstaltungen sollen die Studierenden zum Absolvieren von Famulatur und PJ besser qualifiziert und befähigt werden sowie das empfundene Zutrauen der Studierenden substanziell erhöhen. Die Erfahrungen in Famulaturen und PJ prägen Interesse und die Entscheidungen für ein Fach und den weiteren ärztlichen Berufsweg. Die Inhalte der hier vorgestellten Seminare zur Vorbereitung der ersten Famulatur und des ersten PJ-Tertials leisten einen Beitrag zur späteren selbstständigen ärztlichen Tätigkeit. Sie sollen vor dem folgenden Berufsstart für das Konzept einer umfassenden, d.h. komplexen interdisziplinären, -professionellen und -sektoralen Patientenversorgung sensibilisieren. Unter Berücksichtigung der jeweils unterschiedlichen Vorerfahrungen aus vorangegangenen Praktikumsabschnitten werden die Studierenden gezielt zu breit gefächerten, chirurgisch-interdisziplinären Lernzielen einer „Versorgungskompetenz“ unterrichtet. Studierende sollen auf diese Weise von den anregungsreich zu gestaltenden Phasen der Famulatur und des PJs vermehrt profitieren.

Schlussfolgerung

Von einer Verbesserung der Lehre durch eine statusgerechte Vorbereitung, die neben typischen Tätigkeiten Studierender des Praktikums auch unmittelbar auf den ärztlichen Alltag vorbereitet, sind ein größerer Lernerfolg und ein verbessertes Praktikumserleben zu erwarten.

Lessons learned during the sliding gantry CT implementation in a trauma suite

PURPOSE

Early detection of bleeding is important for managing trauma cases in the emergency department (ED). Several trauma suites are equipped with computed tomography (CT) scanners to reduce the time to CT. In the last decade, sliding gantry CT has been implemented in trauma suites, highlighting conventional techniques' advantages. We investigated the change in the time to CT and the challenges faced during the implementation.

METHODS

Trauma suite treatments with a conventional CT scanner between January and December 2016 formed the control group. From January to April 2017, trauma suites were modified, and treatment was outsourced to an interim trauma suite. By May 2017, trauma suites were equipped with a sliding gantry CT scanner. Treatments from May to July 2017 formed the transition group, and those from August to December 2017 formed the routine use group. We evaluated the time to CT in all groups and considered the reasons for the delays in the transition and routine use groups.

RESULTS

On sliding gantry CT implementation, although time to CT remained unaffected in the transition group, it significantly reduced in the routine use group, independent of injury severity score. The incidence of cable management problems was significantly higher in the latter group.

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated a decrease in the time to CT with the implementation of a sliding gantry CT. However, due to a higher number of cable management problems in the routine use group, we recommend regular refresher team training with routine use.

Prehospital FAST reduces time to admission and operative treatment: a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial

BACKGROUND

The focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) exam is an established trauma care diagnostic procedure. Ultrasound performed during prehospital care can improve early treatment and management of the patients. In this prospective randomized clinical trial, we wanted to assess whether a pre-hospital FAST (p-FAST) influences pre-hospital strategy and the time to operative treatment.

METHODS

We studied 296 trauma victims in a prehospital setting. Inclusion criteria were potential abdominal injuries identified either by clinical examination or suggested by the mechanism of injury. Physician-staffed helicopters and emergency ambulances were equipped with portable ultrasound devices. According to a scheme related to calendar weeks, a clinical exam only (CEX) or a clinical exam together with a p-FAST (CEX-p-FAST) was conducted. Outcome variables were prehospital diagnosis and strategy, the time to admission to the trauma room and to operation theater. The study was approved by the university ethical committee (REB#: 46/06).

RESULTS

CEX-p-FAST showed a high sensitivity (94.7%) and specificity (97.6%) in detection of free fluid compared to CEX-only (80.0%, 84.4%). The median time to admission was reduced significantly by 13 min and to operative treatment by 15 min after CEX-p-FAST. We observed a cross-over rate of 30.8% of p-FAST (n = 36) to CEX-p-FAST during the CEX-only weeks.

CONCLUSION

According to the experience of the principal investigators, CEX-p-FAST was superior to CEX-only. Despite the time needed for p-FAST, the relevant admission time was significantly shorter. Thus, p-FAST is recommended in addition to CEX if possible for decision-making in prehospital trauma care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register #DRKS00022117-Registered 10 July 2020-Retrospectively registered, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022117 .

Length of stay as quality indicator in emergency departments: analysis of determinants in the German Emergency Department Data Registry (AKTIN registry)

Several indicators reflect the quality of care within emergency departments (ED). The length of stay (LOS) of emergency patients represents one of the most important performance measures. Determinants of LOS have not yet been evaluated in large cohorts in Germany. This study analyzed the fixed and influenceable determinants of LOS by evaluating data from the German Emergency Department Data Registry (AKTIN registry). We performed a retrospective evaluation of all adult (age ≥ 18 years) ED patients enrolled in the AKTIN registry for the year 2019. Primary outcome was LOS for the whole cohort; secondary outcomes included LOS stratified by (1) patient-related, (2) organizational-related and (3) structure-related factors. Overall, 304,606 patients from 12 EDs were included. Average LOS for all patients was 3 h 28 min (95% CI 3 h 27 min-3 h 29 min). Regardless of other variables, patients admitted to hospital stayed 64 min longer than non-admitted patients. LOS increased with patients' age, was shorter for walk-in patients compared to medical referral, and longer for non-trauma presenting complaints. Relevant differences were also found for acuity level, day of the week, and emergency care levels. We identified different factors influencing the duration of LOS in the ED. Total LOS was dependent on patient-related factors (age), disease-related factors (presentation complaint and triage level), and organizational factors (weekday and admitted/non-admitted status). These findings are important for the development of management strategies to optimize patient flow through the ED and thus to prevent overcrowding.

Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models (ML) to Predict Suspected Diagnoses as Clinical Decision Support

The complexity of emergency cases and the number of emergency patients have increased dramatically. Due to a reduced or even missing specialist medical staff in the emergency departments (EDs), medical knowledge is often used without professional supervision for the diagnosis. The result is a failure in diagnosis and treatment, even death in the worst case. Secondary: high expenditure of time and high costs. Using accurate patient data from the German national registry of the medical emergency departments (AKTIN-registry, Home - Notaufnahmeregister (aktin.org)), the most 20 frequent diagnoses were selected for creating explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) models as part of the ENSURE project (ENSURE (umg.eu)). 137.152 samples and 51 features (vital signs and symptoms) were analyzed. The XAI models achieved a mean area under the curve (AUC) one-vs-rest of 0.98 for logistic regression (LR) and 0.99 for the random forest (RF), and predictive accuracies of 0.927 (LR) and 0.99 (RF). Based on its grade of explainability and performance, the best model will be incorporated into a portable CDSS to improve diagnoses and outcomes of ED treatment and reduce cost. The CDSS will be tested in a clinical pilot study at EDs of selected hospitals in Germany.

Integrierte Versorgung von Rettungsdienstpatienten. Konsentierte Empfehlungen für optimale Prozesse und Strukturen

Hintergrund

Das vom Innovationsfonds geförderte Projekt „Integrierte Notfallversorgung: Rettungsdienst im Fokus“ (Inno_RD) bringt anhand datenbasierter Analysen Handlungsempfehlungen zur Verbesserung der (Notfall‑)Versorgung in den Diskurs zum Gesetzentwurf zur Reformierung der Notfallversorgung ein.

Methoden

Die Handlungsempfehlungen (HE) basieren auf Analysen von drei Fokusgruppen mit Experten der Notfallversorgung, auf Rettungsdienst- und Krankenkassendaten und einer schriftlichen Patientenbefragung. Im Rahmen einer anschließenden Online-Befragung wurden 55 Aussagen (davon 35 HE und 20 vertiefende Statements) zwei getrennten Gruppen, d. h. den Fokusgruppenteilnehmern („purposive sampling“) und weiteren Experten der Notfallversorgung („convenience sample“ mit gesondertem Befragungslink) vorgelegt. Die Teilnehmer wurden gebeten, die Empfehlungen zu bewerten. 442 Fragebögen wurden für die Analyse berücksichtigt.

Ergebnisse

Alle 55 Aussagen wurden von beiden Gruppen mehrheitlich positiv bewertet (≥50 % Zustimmung), d. h. 19 Aussagen für den Bereich Leitstelle, 14 für Patientenversorger, 19 zur Dokumentation und Evaluation sowie drei HE, die die Bevölkerung adressieren. Vorschläge für die Leitstellen und die Dokumentation und Evaluation von Einsätzen wurden überwiegend mit starkem Konsens (>95 %) und Empfehlungen für den Bereich bevölkerungsbezogene HE und Patientenversorger mehrheitlich mit Konsens (>75–95 %) bewertet.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Aussagen fanden bei den an der Umfrage teilnehmenden Experten große Zustimmung. Die Empfehlungen sollten im Diskurs zur Organisation und Qualitätssicherung der Notfallversorgung berücksichtigt werden.

The impact of a qualified medical documentation assistant on trauma room management

PURPOSE

To improve quality of trauma room management, intra- and inter-hospital benchmarking are important tools. However, primary data quality is crucial for benchmarking reliability. In this study, we analyzed the effect of a medical documentation assistant on documentation completeness in trauma room management in comparison to documentation by physicians involved in direct patient treatment.

METHODS

We included all patients treated in the trauma room from 2016/01/01 to 2016/12/31 that were documented with the trauma module of the German Emergency Department Medical Record V2015.1. We divided the data into documentation by medical documentation assistant (DA, 07:00 to 17:00), physician in daytime (PD, 07:00 to 17:00), and physician at night (PN, 17:00 to 07:00). Data were analyzed for completeness (primary outcome parameter) as well as diagnostic intervals.

RESULTS

There was a significant increase in complete recorded data for DA (74.5%; IQR 14.5%) compared to PD (26.9%; IQR 18.7%; p < 0.001) and PN (30.8%; IQR 18.9; p < 0.001). The time to whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) significantly decreased for DA (19 min; IQR 8.3) compared to PD (24 min; IQR 12.8; p = 0.007) or PN (24.5 min; IQR 10.0; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In presence of a qualified medical documentation assistant, data completeness and time to WBCT improved significantly. Therefore, utilizing a professional DA in the trauma room appears beneficial for data quality and time management.

German emergency department measures in 2018: a status quo based on the Utstein reporting standard

Background

Compelling data on clinical emergency medicine is required for healthcare system management.

The aim of this survey was to describe the nationwide status quo of emergency care in Germany at the healthcare system level using the Utstein reporting template as the guideline to measure the data collected.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey collected standardized data from German EDs in 2018. All 759 of the EDs listed in a previously collected ED Directory were contacted in November 2019 using the online-survey tool SoSci Survey.

Exclusively descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Absolute as well as relative frequencies, medians, means, ranges, standard deviations (SD) and interquartile ranges (IQR) were reported depending on distribution.

Main Results

A total of 150 questionnaires of contacted EDs were evaluated (response rate: 19.8%). Hospitals had a median of 403 inpatient beds (n=147). The EDs recorded a median of 30,000 patient contacts (n=136). Eighty-three EDs (55%) had observation units with a median of six beds. The special patient groups were pediatric patients (< 5 years) and older patients (> 75 years) with a median of 1.7% and 25%, respectively. Outpatients accounted for 55%, while 45% were admitted (intensive care unit 5.0%, standard care unit 32.3%, observation unit 6.3%) and 1.2% transferred to another hospital.

Conclusions

The use of the Utstein reporting template enabled the collection of ED descriptive parameters in Germany. The data can provide a baseline for upcoming reforms on German emergency medicine, and for international comparisons on admission rates, initial triage categories, and patient populations.

Der AKTIN-Monatsbericht: Plädoyer für ein standardisiertes Reporting in der Notaufnahme

Hintergrund

Vor dem Hintergrund der steigenden Inanspruchnahme und aktuellen Veränderungen in der Notfallversorgung ist eine standardisierte Erfassung relevanter Kennzahlen in Notaufnahmen zwingend erforderlich.

Ziel der Arbeit

Es werden die Konsentierung von Inhalten und technische Umsetzung eines automatisierten Reportings für Notaufnahmen des AKTIN-Notaufnahmeregisters beschrieben. Ziel war ein aussagefähiger Monatsbericht zur Prozesssteuerung und Qualitätssicherung.

Material und Methoden

Datengrundlage ist der Datensatz Notaufnahme V2015.1 der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin e. V. (DIVI). Die Konsentierung der Inhalte erfolgte auf Basis von externen Referenzen und fachlicher Expertise; die technische Entwicklung erfolgte anhand eines Testdatensatzes. Mit der Software R und Apache Formatting Objects Processor (FOP) wird der finale Bericht im PDF-Format automatisiert erstellt.

Ergebnisse

Der Bericht enthält unter anderem Angaben zu Fallzahlen, Demografie der Patienten, Vorstellungsgründen, Ersteinschätzung, Verbleib und ausgewählten Prozesszeiten in Form von Tabellen und Grafiken. Er wird monatsweise automatisch oder auf Anforderung aus den Routinedaten generiert. Fehlende Werte und Ausreißer werden zur Abschätzung der Datenqualität separat ausgewiesen.

Diskussion

Beim AKTIN-Monatsbericht handelt es sich um ein Instrument, welches das Versorgungsgeschehen aufbereitet und visualisiert. Die konsentierten Kennzahlen sind praxistauglich und bilden auch die Vorgaben des Gemeinsamen Bundesausschusses zur Ersteinschätzung ab. Die Nutzung von Interoperabilitätsstandards erlaubt eine automatische Erfassung im Alltag, gewährleistet eine Unabhängigkeit von einzelnen IT-Systemen und kann als Grundlage für ein klinikübergreifendes Benchmarking dienen.

Effect of 4DryField® PH on blood loss in hip bipolar hemiarthroplasty following intracapsular femoral neck fracture - a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

One of the most common complications of hip arthroplasty is excessive blood loss that could necessitate allogenic blood transfusion, which is further associated with other complications, such as infections, transfusion reactions or immunomodulation. In gynecology, 4DryField®PH, an absorbable polysaccharide-based formulation, is used for hemostasis and adhesion prophylaxis. In this study, we evaluated its hemostatic effect in patients undergoing hip bipolar hemiarthroplasty following intracapsular femoral neck fracture.

METHODS

We studied 40 patients with intracapsular femoral neck fractures (Garden III or IV) admitted at our institution between July 2016 and November 2017. We included patients above 60 years with simple fracture and without pathologic fractures. Patients were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 5 g of 4DryField® PH (subfascially and subcutaneously) during wound closure. Three drainages were inserted in a standardized manner (submuscular, subfascial, and subcutaneous) and drainage volume was measured immediately before extraction. Total blood loss was calculated using Mercuriali's formula and standard hemograms upon admission and five days after surgery. Volume of postoperative hematoma was measured using point-of-care ultrasound seven days after surgery.

RESULTS

Volume of the postoperative hematoma was reduced by 43.0 mL. However, significant reduction of total blood loss and drainage volume was not observed.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed that 4DryField® PH had a local hemostatic effect, thereby reducing volume of the postoperative hematoma. However, this reduction was small and had no effect on the total blood loss. Further studies are warranted to improve the application algorithm.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

DRKS, DRKS00017452 , Registered 11 June 2019 - Retrospectively registered.

[AKTIN - The German Emergency Department Data Registry - real-time data from emergency medicine : Implementation and first results from 15 emergency departments with focus on Federal Joint Committee's guidelines on acuity assessment]

Hintergrund

Die Notfallversorgung befindet sich im Umbruch. In Notaufnahmen werden Patienten ausgehend von Symptomen und Dringlichkeit versorgt; dies bildet sich jedoch in den etablierten Routinedaten der gesetzlichen Sozialversicherung nicht ab. Ziel des AKTIN-Projekts war der Aufbau einer datenschutzkonformen Registerinfrastruktur zur Nutzung von klinischen Routinedaten aus Notaufnahmen.

Methoden

Über eine standardisierte Schnittstelle werden aus den verschiedenen Dokumentationssystemen kontinuierlich Daten der Notaufnahmebehandlung in ein lokales Data Warehouse exportiert. Dort stehen sie sowohl für lokale Nutzungen, wie interne Berichte und Qualitätsmanagement, als auch gleichzeitig datenschutzkonform für multizentrische Auswertungen zur Verfügung.

Anhand der Registerpopulation wird die Ersteinschätzung sowie die Erhebung von Vitalparametern in Abhängigkeit von Vorstellungsgründen für einen 12-Monats-Zeitraum analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Für den Zeitraum 04/2018 bis 03/2019 wurden 436.149 gültige Fälle aus 15 Notaufnahmen übermittelt. In 86,0 % der Fälle ist eine Ersteinschätzung dokumentiert.

Diese fand in 70,5 % innerhalb von 10 min nach Ankunft des Patienten statt. In 10 Kliniken wird regelhaft (82,3 %) ein Vorstellungsgrund erfasst. Die Erfassung von Vitalparametern variiert plausibel zwischen den Vorstellungsgründen.

Schlussfolgerung

Das AKTIN-Notaufnahmeregister bietet einen zeitnahen Einblick in das Versorgungsgeschehen der Notaufnahmen ohne zusätzlichen Dokumentationsaufwand und unabhängig vom primären IT-System, Kostenträger, Fallart und Abrechnungsmodus. Die Vorgaben des Gemeinsamen Bundesausschusses zur Ersteinschätzung werden weitgehend umgesetzt. Durch die Etablierung von standardisierten Vorstellungsgründen werden symptombasierte Analysen und Gesundheitssurveillance ermöglicht.

Zusatzmaterial online

Die Onlineversion dieses Beitrags (10.1007/s00063-020-00764-2) enthält die Abb. S1 und S2. Beitrag und Zusatzmaterial stehen Ihnen auf www.springermedizin.de zur Verfügung. Bitte geben Sie dort den Beitragstitel in die Suche ein, das Zusatzmaterial finden Sie beim Beitrag unter „Ergänzende Inhalte“.

Evaluation of outcome relevance of quality indicators in the emergency department (ENQuIRE): study protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Quality of emergency department (ED) care affects patient outcomes substantially. Quality indicators (QIs) for ED care are a major challenge due to the heterogeneity of patient populations, health care structures and processes in Germany. Although a number of quality measures are already in use, there is a paucity of data on the importance of these QIs on medium-term and long-term outcomes. The evaluation of outcome relevance of quality indicators in the emergency department study (ENQuIRE) aims to identify and investigate the relevance of QIs in the ED on patient outcomes in a 12-month follow-up.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study is a prospective non-interventional multicentre cohort study conducted in 15 EDs throughout Germany. Included are all patients in 2019, who were ≥18 years of age, insured at the Techniker Krankenkasse (statutory health insurance (SHI)) and gave their written informed consent to the study.The primary objective of the study is to assess the effect of selected quality measures on patient outcome. The data collected for this purpose comprise medical records from the ED treatment, discharge (claims) data from hospitalised patients, a patient questionnaire to be answered 6-8 weeks after emergency admission, and outcome measures in a 12-month follow-up obtained as claims data from the SHI.Descriptive and analytical statistics will be applied to provide summaries about the characteristics of QIs and associations between quality measures and patient outcomes.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Approval of the leading ethics committee at the Medical Faculty of the University of Magdeburg (reference number 163/18 from 19 November 2018) has been obtained and adapted by responsible local ethics committees.The findings of this work will be disseminated by publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations as conference contributions (abstracts, poster or oral presentations).Moreover, results will be discussed with clinical experts and medical associations before being proposed for implementation into the quality management of EDs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS00015203); Pre-results.

[Restructuring of inpatient emergency treatment : What will change?]

The resolution on the restructuring of inpatient emergency treatment was passed by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) on 19 April 2018 based on the Hospital Structure Act and became binding with the publication in the Bundesanzeiger on 18 May 2018. The resolution describes the future structural and qualitative prerequisites for participation of hospitals in the provision of emergency treatment in three levels: basic emergency treatment, extended emergency treatment and comprehensive emergency treatment. Furthermore, a level of nonparticipation is also planned. In addition, there are special modules, e.g. for the treatment of children and auxiliary modules for specifically equipped hospitals with highly specialized patient treatment (e.g. stroke unit). A transition regulation period of 3-5 years provides hospitals with the possibility to adjust to the new minimum requirements. The German Hospital Federation (DKG) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-SV) will negotiate the assessment of surcharges and deductions subsequent to the resolution.

[Even low-acuity patients prefer hospital-based emergency care : A survey of non-urgent patients in an emergency department with unique regional position]

BACKGROUND

Besides increasing numbers of cases in German emergency departments (ED), the spectrum of attending patients is also changing. Patients with acute illnesses tend to prefer EDs to ambulatory care as primary contact point. This study examines the motives for use and use behavior of low-urgent ED-patients.

METHODS

Anonymous patient survey in the ED of Wolfsburg Hospital between 12/2015 and 03/2016 with descriptive analysis. All patients with low urgency (Manchester-Triage-System (MTS), levels blue and green) were eligible.

RESULTS

81.5% of respondents (729 evaluable out of 7000 questionnaires distributed) attended the ED between 8:00 a. m. and 5:00 p. m., 70.1 % of them were walk-in patients. The motive most frequently cited was that they would receive better care in the ED (48.3 %). Contrary to acuity assessment, 67.8 % of respondents considered themselves a medium to life-threatening emergency. As alternative option, 49.2 % would choose a nearby clinic in the region for their complaints.

CONCLUSION

Self-assessed urgency differs with acuity assessment according to MTS. Patients who fear an acute threat to their health do not use services provided in the ambulatory sector such as the emergency practice of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in the immediate proximity sufficiently. Previous approaches for patient navigation do not seem to be successful in this setting. Strengthening of EDs as a single 24/7 access point for emergency care with simultaneous abolition of parallel care structures should be discussed.

[Magdeburg Medical School - Logbook for Surgical Training of Final Year Medical Students - an Interdisciplinary, Medical School-Specific Concept Based on the Guidelines Issued by the Medical School Association ("Medizinischer Fakultätentag") in 2012]

BACKGROUND

The final year is the last part of the study of human medicine and can be regarded as an essential period, during which medical knowledge should be consequently converted into medical expertise. Since the amendment of the medical license policy ("Ärztliche Approbationsordnung" [ÄApprO]) from July 17, 2012, in particular, since April 01, 2013, German universities have been obliged to provide a training schedule such as a "logbook" for this final year, specifically for the mandatory time periods within surgery and internal medicine. In preparation for this innovation, the German Medical School Association ("Medizinischer Fakultätentag") presented basic logbooks as consensus documents in June 2012. The portfolio for each surgery discipline and the Magdeburg Medical School, had been developed on the basis of individual initiatives and used for years, and was revised, specified and further developed into a "logbook of the medical study's final year" - specific for daily practice and the Magdeburg Medical School, and to the guidelines of the Medical School Association ("Medizinischer Fakultätentag"). The aim of the present commentary is i) to present the Magdeburg Medical School logbook and its clinical planning for cases, diagnoses and (surgical) interventions, as a summary of institutional experience and ii) to describe the mandatory surgical part of the "Magdeburg's final year of the study of human medicine".

METHOD

Narrative short overview including individual teaching experiences and topic-related references from "PubMed" using terms for literature search such as "surgical logbook", "practical year" and "medical teaching". The background and aims of the document's modifications are explained for each surgical discipline.

RESULTS

The "Logbook" is subdivided into 6 chapters: introduction, basics, statement of requirement, selected surgical diseases and interventions as well as information on final year-associated events and courses and instructions for creating the obligatory case report.

CONCLUSION

The presented "Magdeburg Medical School Final Year Logbook of the Surgical Disciplines" has been created according to the requirements of the German Medical School Association ("Medizinischer Fakultätentag") and has been simultaneously adapted to the conditions and established medical teaching at the presenting Medical School. In particular, the medical students are given a document related to daily clinical practice, which allows them, within an overall teaching concept, to acquire indispensable expertise.

Surgical treatment of lateral and posterior process fractures of the talus: Mid-term results of 15 cases after 7 years

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively evaluated the mid-term results of surgery for talar process fractures (lateral and posterior processes) and exploratively analyzed parameters that potentially impact treatment outcomes.

METHODS

Fifteen patients who underwent internal fixation (January 2000 to December 2015) were examined for radiological and clinical functional outcomes. The independent parameters evaluated were age, sex, extent of general injury, soft-tissue damage, surgical latency, and fracture type.

RESULTS

All fractures healed completely. Three patients developed osteoarthritis. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle/Hindfoot Scale score was 79.5±18.6, the Functional Foot Index score was 31.1±31.4, and the physical and mental component summary scores of the Short Form 36, version 2, were 46.6±11.8 and 50.3±9.1, respectively. No influence on the above scores was determined.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical outcomes of internal fixation of talar process fractures were good. Delayed surgical treatment (≥14days) did not significantly lead to poorer outcomes in our patients.

[National Learning Objectives Catalogue in Surgery - General Part Defining Competences of Medical School Graduates in Surgery]

Competency-based medical education is needed in order to meet the requirements of medical care currently and in the future. The basis of this are activity-based learning objectives that are merged in competency-based catalogues. A basis for a core curriculum of undergraduate medical training is the National Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM). Already in 2013, for surgery, the competencies which medical students should have achieved after completing the practical year (PJ) in relation to surgical diseases were defined in the special part of the National Catalogue of Learning Objectives in Surgery (NKLC). In the now amended general part of the NKLC, interdisciplinary competencies were defined and consented from all surgical disciplines, that are relevant for all surgical disciplines and that all representatives from the different surgical disciplines should incorporate in their surgical training. The complete NKLC is now available for faculties, teachers and students for trial (available online: https://www.dgch.de/index.php?id=190&L=528). The guiding principle for the entire development process was to make sure that students gain all competencies they need when starting to work as a medical doctor and therefor to increase patient safety.

Existence and role of standard operating procedures in the emergency department : A national online survey

BACKGROUND

In recent years, increases in the number of patients in emergency departments (ED) have led to continuous work intensification. To handle this problem, the treatment effectiveness has to be maximized. One strategy that may help to optimize workflow is the use of standard operating procedures (SOPs). We investigated the existence of SOPs and subjective effects on treatment in German EDs.

METHODS

We performed an online survey from February 2015 until June 2016. We collected data regarding the existence of SOPs, health care level, medical field, work experience, and education. All professional groups participating in the treatment of patients were requested to take part in the survey.

RESULTS

Seventy-five percent of the 589 participants in the survey confirmed the existence of SOPs in their EDs. SOPs were more frequently available in hospitals with higher health care levels. Participants working in EDs without SOPs felt less confident regarding treatment of patients. More than 85% of these participants were in favor of having SOPs. The absence of SOPs was associated with a subjective delay in patient treatment.

CONCLUSION

Most of the EDs had available SOPs. In departments without SOPs, most physicians wanted them to be implemented. SOPs seemed adequate in terms of supporting workflow and satisfaction with patients' treatment.

[Routine Data from Emergency Departments: Varying Documentation Standards, Billing Modalities and Data Custodians at an Identical Unit of Care]

Hintergrund Nicht nur im Kontext der Neuordnung der Notfallversorgung in Deutschland besteht derzeit ein hoher Bedarf an Daten aus Notaufnahmen. Für die Versorgungsforschung bieten sich Daten an, welche auf gesetzlicher Grundlage generiert werden. Unterschiedliche Kostenträger und Abrechnungsmodi stellen eigene Anforderungen an die Dokumentation dieser Routinedaten.

Methodische Herausforderungen Aufgrund der sektoralen Trennung gibt es keinen Datensatz oder Datenhalter, der Auskunft über alle Notaufnahmebehandlungen geben kann. Aus administrativer Sicht gilt die gesamte Notaufnahmebehandlung als ambulant oder stationär, tatsächlich wird die Entscheidung darüber erst während der Versorgung getroffen. Für die stationäre Versorgung existiert ein administratives Notfallkennzeichen, allerdings kein direktes Merkmal für Notaufnahmebehandlungen. Bei Abrechnung ambulanter Fälle über die kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen ist mindestens eine Diagnose (ICD-10-Kode) zu erfassen, versehen mit einem Kennzeichen zur Diagnosesicherheit. Es können mehrere ICD-10-Kodes ohne Hierarchie angegeben werden. Bei stationär behandelten Patienten ist eine Aufnahmediagnose und nach Behandlungsende die Hauptdiagnose und ggf. Nebendiagose(n) an die zuständige Krankenkasse zu übermitteln. Die gesetzliche Unfallversicherung hat eigene Dokumentationsanforderungen.

Lösungsansätze Je nach Forschungsfrage und Studiendesign sind unterschiedliche Vorgehensweisen erforderlich. Stammen die Daten unmittelbar aus Notaufnahmen bzw. Kliniken ist eine Information über den Kostenträger und den Abrechnungsmodus hilfreich. Bei Nutzung von Krankenkassendaten muss die Identifikation von stationär behandelten Patienten in einer Notaufnahme aktuell indirekt erfolgen. Dazu können unter anderem die Parameter Aufnahmegrund und definierte „eindeutige“ Notfall-Diagnosen herangezogen werden. Die fallpauschalenbezogene Krankenhausstatistik hat eigene Limitationen, enthält dafür aber die stationären Fälle aller Kostenträger.

Diskussion Die divergierenden Anforderungen an die administrative Dokumentation verursachen einen hohen Aufwand in den Kliniken. Perspektivisch ist eine Vereinheitlichung der Leistungserfassung und Dokumentation von Notfallbehandlungen aller Kostenarten auch zur Generierung von validen, vergleichbaren und repräsentativen Daten für die Versorgungsforschung erstrebenswert. Die Einführung eines eigenen Fachabteilungsschlüssels würde zur Identifikation von Notaufnahmebehandlungen beitragen.

[Prehospital application of tourniquets for life-threatening extremity hemorrhage : Systematic review of literature]

INTRODUCTION

The effectiveness of a tourniquet in the case of life-threatening hemorrhages of the extremities is well recognized and led to the recommendations on "Tourniquet" of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (DGAI) in 2016. The aim of this systematic review was to re-evaluate the current medical literature in relation to the published DGAI recommendations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Based on the analysis of all studies published from January 2015 until January 2018 in the PubMed databases, the publicized recommendations for action on "Tourniquet" of the DGAI were critically re-evaluated. For this purpose, 17 questions on 6 subjects were formulated in advance. The systematic review followed the PRISMA recommendations and is registered in PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews, Reg.-ID: CRD42018091528).

RESULTS

Of the 284 studies identified with the keywords tourniquet and trauma in the period from January 2015 to January 2018 in PubMed, 50 original papers discussing the prehospital application of tourniquet for life-threatening hemorrhage of the extremities were included. The overall level of evidence is low. No article addressed any of the formulated questions with a prospective randomized interventional study. Scientific deductions could be found only in an indirect way in a descriptive manner.

CONCLUSION

The 50 original articles included in this qualitative, systematic review revealed that the recommendations "Tourniquet" of the DGAI published in 2016 are mostly still up to date despite an inhomogeneous study situation. A deviation occurred in the conversion of a tourniquet but due to the short prehospital treatment time in the civilian setting this is of little importance; however, in the future a strict distinction should be made between tourniquets which were placed for tactical reasons and those placed as a medical necessity.

Implementation of Emergency Department Performance Benchmarking Using R and LaTeX

The German Emergency Department Data Registry (GEDD-registry, AKTIN) provides an infrastructure for collecting and querying up-to-date medical records in a distributed manner. Within this framework, a benchmark report on cross-institutional comparison using the program R is prepared using routine data of participating hospitals. Currently, 16 emergency departments (EDs) routinely transfer data of 1,200 to approximately 5,000 patients per month to a federated GEDD-registry datawarehouse. Using various packages in the R environment, hospitals receive a monthly visual report on their data among all participating hospitals. Graphical representations are implemented using column diagrams and box plots. Reports currently contain 25 tables and 40 graphs. Benchmark reports are created in R-Studio and exported using Portable Document Format, PDF. Quarterly expert meetings with the heads of participating EDs are currently performed for further improvements. Preparation of external benchmarking reports with R enables a detailed data presentation for participating hospitals and ED managers.

The way from pen and paper to electronic documentation in a German emergency department

Background

Some of the advantages of implementing electronic emergency department information systems (EDIS) are improvements in data availability and simplification of statistical evaluations of emergency department (ED) treatments. However, for multi-center evaluations, standardized documentation is necessary. The AKTIN project (“National Emergency Department Register: Improvement of Health Services Research in Acute Medicine in Germany”) has used the “German Emergency Department Medical Record” (GEDMR) published by the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive and Emergency Care as the documentation standard for its national data registry.

Methods

Until March 2016 the documentation standard in ED was the pen-and-paper version of the GEDMR. In April 2016 we implemented the GEDMR in a timeline-based EDIS. Related to this, we compared the availability of structured treatment information of traumatological patients between pen-and-paper-based and electronic documentation, with special focus on the treatment time.

Results

All 796 data fields of the 6 modules (basic data, severe trauma, patient surveillance, anesthesia, council, neurology) were adapted for use with the existing EDIS configuration by a physician working regularly in the ED. Electronic implementation increased availability of structured anamnesis and treatment information. However, treatment time was increased in electronic documentation both immediately (2:12 ± 0:04 h; n = 2907) and 6 months after implementation (2:18 ± 0:03 h; n = 4778) compared to the pen-and-paper group (1:43 ± 0:02 h; n = 2523; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

We successfully implemented standardized documentation in an EDIS. The availability of structured treatment information was improved, but treatment time was also increased. Thus, further work is necessary to improve input time.

Competitive advantage gained from the use of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) for trauma patients: Evaluation of 1724 patients

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to analyze helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) in comparison to EMS, in respect to patient's mortality and morbidity.

DESIGN

From a cohort of traumatized patients (n = 1724) prospectively enrolled in the German trauma registry (DGU-R) at Frankfurt University Hospital from 2009 to 2013, 1646 could be analyzed for in-hospital mortality and short-term outcome (GOS) at discharge and compared between HEMS and EMS.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

129 patients (7.8%) died in the hospital. Unadjusted mortality was significantly lower in the HEMS group compared to EMS (p = 0.001). In a multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment of variables including reanimation and age as the strongest predictors, in-hospital mortality was significantly reduced in HEMS (p = 0.014, OR = 0.21). Further predictors in the multiple logistic regression analysis were GCS > = 8 (p = 0.001), RRsys (p < 0.001), ISS at Head/Neck > = 3 (p = 0.003), and total ISS > = 9 (p < 0.001). Total rescue time and on scene time were associated with mortality (p < 0.001) but not included in the multiple logistic regression model. Without adjustment, short-term outcome (GOS) was significantly improved (p = 0.014). In a linear model, after adjusting for multiple variables including age, ISS Head/Neck > = 3, ISS Extremities > = 3, GCS > = 8, and RRsys as the strongest predictors (p < 0.001), the association remained significant (p = 0.043). Further predictors in the multiple linear regression analysis were total ISS > = 9 (p = 0.002), ISS abdomen (p = 0.001), and ISS Chest (p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

A significant improvement for in-hospital survival for HEMS could be demonstrated. Especially in Germany, with a high number of secondary call outs (about 44%) after EMS has already reached the traumatized patient, HEMS must be the first choice for severely injured trauma patients. Dispatch criteria for immediate alarm of HEMS are recommended under practical considerations.

Effects and Consequences of Being an OSCE Examiner in Surgery-A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE

Even though objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a well-investigated format for competency-based practical examination, only a few studies have explored the motivations of OSCE examiners and their opinions, both positive and negative, toward being an examiner. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the views of OSCE examiners using semi-structured interviews.

DESIGN

Surgical OSCE examiners were queried at two medical faculties in Germany via semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the techniques of structured qualitative content analysis.

SETTING

This study was conducted at the medical faculties of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany and of the Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

All of the study participants were surgeons working at the university hospital of one of the faculties.

RESULTS

A total of 29 examiners were queried until a saturation of content was achieved. A critical reflection of one's own teaching was described as a major benefit by most participants. Furthermore, they noted that the standards and competences examined during the OSCE boosted the detail of their teaching sessions in the wards. However, the examiners criticized missed operations due the examination and were not appreciated by superiors for being an examiner. Most of the examiners (22/29) preferred to be an examiner themselves rather than appointing student peer examiners. If they had appointed someone else, that would mean they would miss valuable experiences useful for their own teaching.

CONCLUSIONS

Being an OSCE examiner confers several advantages, notably the reflection of one's own teaching, which was described as highly valuable by the examiners.

[Patient Motivation to Participate in Medical Education]

BACKGROUND

Student education focuses increasingly on case-related teaching. Often the consent of the patient to participate in student education is supposed to be provided. In most instances this is taken for granted - which it is not. Here, we investigated the motivation of the patients to participate in student education and influence factors using an anonymised survey.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The survey was performed from 2017/01/01 until 2017/04/30 and recruited inpatients of a university department of trauma surgery. The questionnaire contained 10 multiple choice questions targeting socio-demographic factors and the motivation of the patients to participate in different aspects of medical education. This was captured using a 5-point Likert scale. The electronic analysis of the questionnaire was performed with the program KLAUS (Blubbsoft GmbH, Berlin, Germany) after digitalizing the data.

RESULTS

In total 162 questionnaires were analysed. The patients were generally highly motivated to participate in bedside teaching and a student examination as well as consenting to the collection of pictures, videos and X-ray images or subsequent contact. Patient satisfaction was a principle factor. There was a positive correlation between the satisfaction with the motivation to participate in bedside teaching and a student examination as well as giving consent to the collection of pictures, videos and X-ray images or subsequent contact. There was significantly decreased motivation for participation in a lecture. In comparison, male patients had greater motivation to participate in a lecture. Moreover 40- to 49-year-old patients were significantly less motivated to participate in a lecture than 20- to 29-year-old and 50- to 59-year-old patients. Patient satisfaction had no influence on motivation to participate in a lecture.

CONCLUSION

The motivation of the patients to participate in bedside teaching and a student examination as well as giving consent to the collection of pictures, videos and X-ray images or subsequent contact correlated with patient satisfaction. Socio-demographic factors are less important. Patient motivation to participate in a lecture is lower regardless of patient satisfaction.

Train-the-Trainer: Professionalisierung der Lehre im klinischen Alltag – Selbsteinschätzung Lehrender zur didaktischen Kompetenz und den Rahmenbedingungen des Unterrichts

Hintergrund Didaktiktrainings tragen zur Verbesserung der Qualität der medizinischen Lehre bei. In einem Kurs des Train-the-Trainer-Konzepts (TTT-Konzepts) der Chirurgischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Lehre (CAL) wurden dabei Lehrende (TN) verschiedener Professionen und Karrierestufen gemeinsam unterrichtet.

Ziel der Arbeit Einschätzungen zur eigenen Lehrtätigkeit im klinischen Alltag durch verschiedene Gruppen, wie assistenzärztliches (AÄ), oberärztliches Personal (OÄ) und Pflegende (KP), deren Wahrnehmung von Erschwernissen und Artikulation von Wünschen zur Lehrverbesserung.

Material und Methoden Vor Kursbeginn wurden biografische Daten, didaktische Vorerfahrungen, Lehrhindernisse sowie Wünsche zur Lehrverbesserung erfragt. Nach Abschluss wurden die TN gebeten, den Kurs zu bewerten. Die Antworten zu den geschlossenen und offenen Fragen wurden quantitativ und qualitativ ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse Von 2014 bis 2017 wurden 6 Basiskurse (TTT-A) an 3 Standorten durchgeführt. 97 TN nahmen an den Befragungen teil (AÄ n = 44, OÄ n = 19, KP n = 17). Mehr als ⅔ verfügten bereits über didaktische Vorkenntnisse. Zwischen ärztlichen und pflegerischen Berufsgruppen fanden sich hierbei keine signifikanten Unterschiede. Während AÄ und KP primär am Krankenbett unterrichteten, lehrten OÄ überwiegend im Rahmen von Vorlesungen, Wahlfächern und Seminaren. Für die Lehre im klinischen Alltag fühlte sich nur ein geringer Anteil aus allen Berufsgruppen gut vorbereitet. Als Haupterschwernisse wurden Zeit- und Personalmangel, eine zu hohe Anzahl von Studierenden und zu geringe eigene didaktische Vorkenntnisse angegeben. Fast ⅔ der AÄ empfanden die studentische Lehre als starke oder moderate Belastung, gegenüber ca. 50% der OÄ und 60% KP. Als Wünsche zur Lehrverbesserung wurden differenziertere Vorgaben zu Inhalt und Aufbau der Lehrveranstaltungen, eine höhere Wertschätzung der Lehre insgesamt sowie die regelmäßige didaktische Qualifizierung der Lehrenden genannt.

Diskussion Berufsgruppenbedingte Unterschiede im klinischen Alltag und individueller Karrierefortschritt üben einen Einfluss auf Art, Umsetzung und Wahrnehmung der Lehrtätigkeit aus. Durch Fokussierung auf Lernziele und wesentliche für den Unterricht am Krankenbett relevante Lehr- und Prüfungsformate können Dozententrainingsprogramme berufsgruppenübergreifend zum Wissens- und Kompetenzzuwachs beitragen. Hinweise auf einen nachhaltigen Effekt ermutigen zur Fortsetzung und Weiterentwicklung des TTT-Konzepts.

[Requirements for a sustainable standardization and digitalization in clinical emergency and acute medicine]

Digitalization and standardization of documentation in medicine are increasingly progressing. In the decision of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) for a staged system of emergency structures in hospitals and in the report of the expert committee for development in the healthcare system on needs-oriented guidance of healthcare, the actuality of the topic is underlined with concrete naming of future tasks. The section on emergency admission protocols of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive and Emergency Care Medicine (DIVI) has been working for years on this topic and has repeatedly reported on the progress of the topic in clinical emergency care. Standardization and digitalization represent the foundation for health services research spread across locations as well as the possibility for benchmarking. Digitalization makes the secondary use of primary clinical routine data possible. Digitalization decreases redundancies of data transmission by avoiding manual data input in, for example registers.

Evaluation of new quality indicators for the TraumaRegister DGU® using the systematic QUALIFY methodology

BACKGROUND

The TraumaRegister DGU^® (TR-DGU) of the German Trauma Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie, DGU) enables the participating hospitals to perform quality management. For that purpose, nine so-called audit filters have existed, since its foundation, which, inter alia, is listed in the Annual Report. The objective of this study effort is a revision of these quality indicators with the aim of developing pertinent new and reliable quality indicators for the management of severely injured patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Apart from indicators already used at national and international levels, a systematic review of the literature revealed further potential key figures for quality of the management of severely injured patients. The latter were evaluated by an interdisciplinary and interprofessional group of experts using a standardized QUALIFY process to assess their suitability as a quality indicator.

RESULTS

By means of the review of the literature, 39 potential indicators could be identified. 9 and 14 indicators, respectively, were identified in existing trauma registries (TR-DGU and TARN), 17 in the ATLS^® training concept, and 57 in the S3 guideline on the treatment of polytrauma/severe injuries. The exclusion of duplicates and the limitation to indicators that can be collected using the TR-DGU Version 2015 data set resulted in a total of 43 indicators to be reviewed. For each of the 43 indicators, 13 quality criteria were assessed. A consensus was achieved in 305 out of 559 individual assessments. With 13 quality criteria assessed and 43 indicators correspond this to a relative consensus value of 54.6%. None of the indicators achieved a consensus in all 13 quality criteria assessed. The following 13 indicators achieved a consensus in at least 9 quality criteria: time between hospital admission and WBCT, mortality, administration of tranexamic acid to bleeding patients, use of CCT with GCS <14, time until first emergency surgical intervention (7-item list in the TR-DGU), time until surgical intervention for penetrating trauma, application of pelvic sling belt (prehospital), capnometry (etCO₂) in intubated patients, time until CCT with GCS < 15, time until surgery for hemorrhagic shock, time until craniotomy for severe TBI, prehospital airway management in unconscious patients (GCS < 9), and complete basic diagnostics available. Two indicators achieved a consensus in 11 criteria and thus represent the maximum consensus achieved within the group of experts. Four indicators only achieved a consensus in three quality criteria. 17 indicators had a mean value for the 3 relevance criteria of ≥ 3.5 and were, therefore, assessed by the group of experts as being highly relevant.

CONCLUSION

Not all the key figures published for the management of severely injured patients are suitable for use as quality indicators. It remains to be seen whether the quality indicators identified by experts using the QUALIFY process will meet the requirements in practice. Prior to the implementation of the assessed quality indicators in standardized quality assurance programs, a scientific evaluation based on national data will be required.

Significant acceleration of emergency response using smartphone geolocation data and a worldwide emergency call support system

Importance

When patients are disorientated or experience language barriers, it is impossible to activate the emergency response system. In these cases, the delay for receiving appropriate help can extend to several hours.

Objectives

A worldwide emergency call support system (ECSS), including geolocation of modern smartphones (GPS, WLAN and LBS), was established referring to E911 and eCall systems. The system was tested for relevance in quickly forwarding abroad emergency calls to emergency medical services (EMS).

Design

To verify that geolocation data from smartphones are exact enough to be used for emergency cases, the accuracy of GPS (global positioning system), Wi-Fi (wireless LAN network) and LBS (location based system) was tested in eleven different countries and compared to actual location. The main objective was analyzed by simulation of emergencies in different countries. The time delay in receiving help in unsuccessful emergency call cases by using the worldwide emergency call support system (ECSS) was measured.

Results

GPS is the gold standard to locate patients with an average accuracy of 2.0 ± 3.3 m. Wi-Fi can be used within buildings with an accuracy of 7.0 ± 24.1 m. Using ECSS, the emergency call leads to a successful activation of EMS in 22.8 ± 10.8 min (Median 21 min). The use of a simple app with one button to touch did never cause any delay.

Conclusions and relevance

The worldwide emergency call support system (ECSS) significantly improves the emergency response in cases of disorientated patients or language barriers. Under circumstances without ECSS, help can be delayed by 2 or more hours and might have relevant lifesaving effects. This is the first time that Wi-Fi geolocation could prove to be a useful improvement in emergencies to enhance GPS, especially within or close to buildings.