Background: Evidence in the literature suggests a wide practice variation is used to assess patients with signs of preterm labor, though more than 75% deliver at term. In 2013, the March of Dimes released the Preterm Labor Assessment Toolkit (PLAT), a step-by-step pathway for the assessment of symptomatic women. PLAT utilizes evidence-based tools for assessing risk to promote efficient management and avoid unnecessary intervention.
Methods: In 2015, local obstetric providers convened to develop a community-wide strategy for deploying the toolkit. A survey was administered to identify current methods of risk-assessment for preterm labor. Utilizing these results, an interprofessional training event was developed for physicians, sonographers, and nurses incorporating multiple live instructional methodologies including interactive didactics using audience-response systems, high-fidelity simulation, and computer workstations. Physicians and sonographers were trained on transvaginal ultrasound to measure cervical length. Nurses learned to collect fetal fibronectin samples through a sterile speculum exam. A post-training evaluation was administered to all participants (n=80) to assess the quality of the curriculum and instruction.
Results: A 65% post-event evaluation response rate was received. Of the respondents, 83% of physicians and sonographers and 100% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that the educational objectives were met and the teaching strategies were effective. 82% of physicians and sonographers and 100% of nurses reported their intention to change their practice as a result of the training.
Discussions: The use of multiple instructional modalities is an effective interprofessional training method for a standardized skill.
Keywords: Curriculum Development/Evaluation, Evidence Based Practice, Faculty Development, Interprofessional, Instructional Materials/Methods, Simulation
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2017, Resident, Faculty, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Professionalism, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, CME, Simulation, Team-Based Learning, Faculty Development,
Haley Gardiner, MPH, CHES, Department of Women\'s Health/Dell Medical School; Celeste Sheppard, MD; Emily Vinas, EdD; Kelly Sullivan, RDMS; Amy Young, MD
