O2097: Enhancing Critical Care Transport Readiness in Community Medical Providers in Resource-Limited Settings through an Online Competency-Based Adaptive Blended Learning Model

Background: Timely resuscitation therapies and quality access to specialized critical care outside urban areas depend on expert medical transportation. In resource limited settings, the transport of critically ill pediatric patients presents substantial challenges, stemming primarily from a deficiency in transport medicine preparedness among healthcare professionals. This lack of readiness is associated with higher mortality rates and impairs initial and continuous resuscitation efforts in critical care. Addressing these challenges through capacity building efforts, including personnel training and community-based transport system enhancements, is crucial to improve quality essential treatment for critically ill children and reduce the inequality care gap between high and low-income, and urban and non-urban, areas.

Methods: A community of practice of pediatric critical and emergency care practitioners in Latin America interested in pediatric transport designed a dual-purpose workshop merging rapid competency development in pediatric transport principles with a train-the-trainer approach for organizing inter-professional transport teams. The workshop focused on instruction in both technical and non-technical skills vital to high-quality transports. Based on participants input, we identified a need for enduring educational materials accessible before hands-on training, replacing lectures and focusing on practical problem-solving skills and strategies to reduce gaps in local critical care transport access. We developed and deployed an open-access online platform to disseminate interactive didactic material using a Wiki-like design for CoP member interaction guided by Harden’s CRISIS criteria to support remote learning of foundational concepts. Additionally, an Adaptive Learning (AL) blended model was employed to offer interactive instruction, utilizing learning analytics to identify and address performance gaps, and allowing tailoring of content and learning experiences to contextualized needs.

Results: The creation of a comprehensive online training curriculum, accessible prior to hands-on training, was achieved. The curriculum encompasses: 1) Curricular Resources: providing knowledge on core topics and guidelines; 2) Virtual Case AL: offering a peer-led team blended learning; 3) A didactic on-line “living curriculum”: open to receive supplementary peer-reviewed content additions to foster updated, practical and contextualized solutions to competency gaps in critical care transports. This is supported by an 8-hour peer-led competency-based workshop that addresses knowledge content and simulated case learning with rapid cycle deliberate practice, focusing on multidisciplinary critical resource utilization expertise, communication skills, situational awareness, role clarity, effective communication and team integration methodology through transport scenarios. We will perform ongoing evaluations of the program using a logic model for its educational component and assessment of the consequential validity of its impact.

Conclusion: An Online Competency-Based AL platform can facilitate access to a peer-led, blended learning critical care transport training model and contextualized system operation conceptualization promoting safe and high-quality pediatric critical care transport practices among practitioners in high-risk communities.