Trauma Quality Improvement and Team Education: How Can We Better Optimize Our Training?

Purpose of Review: The relationship between high quality healthcare and its impact on healthcare expenditures has led to a push towards higher-quality care while using fewer resources. Trauma in particular stands out, as both clinical skills and non-technical skills are emphasized in an effort to achieve the best outcomes. Education focused on improving teamwork and team communication is at the forefront of improving quality in trauma care. Recent Findings: Within the past 15 years, the Trauma Quality Improvement (TQI) Program has utilized risk adjusted benchmarks to provide each enrolled center with accurate comparisons to the national average in a variety of quality-based patient outcomes. By using TQI Project data, facilities are able to determine specific outcome-driven metrics. More recently, simulation has become a safe and effective learning method to improve both teamwork and communication in the setting of a trauma resuscitation. Simulation continues to become more high-fidelity and trauma education in particular, has seen the adoption of perfused cadavers, virtual reality trainers, and hyper-realistic mannequins such as The Cut Suit®. In addition to simulation, trauma video review (TVR) has been used to evaluate both technical and non-technical skills of trauma resuscitations and more centers are beginning to start TVR programs as the value becomes clear. Summary: Quality improvement and team education are synonymous, especially when focusing on trauma resuscitations. Both simulation and TVR have led to significant improvements in both technical and non-technical skills. Finally, the culture of TQI is also changing and by adopting Just Culture practices previously punitive conferences such as morbidity and mortality are becoming more educational for both the involved participants and for the observers.