Healthcare professionals' skills are tested daily. Whether taking a patient's vitals or assisting with major surgery, it's crucial physicians feel confident in their capabilities. Ongoing education is an integral part of their responsibilities, but it can be difficult to find the time for training between their routine tasks and trials.
One approach to ongoing education that's led to heightened physician confidence and improved patient outcomes is low-dose, high-frequency CPR training. This method serves to highlight healthcare providers' dedication and strengthen skills through quarterly training sessions. It also helps underscores their essential role in ensuring patient safety through effective CPR interventions.
Pain Points of Traditional CPR Training
The commitment of physicians to continuous improvement in CPR training has helped lead to a reevaluation of traditional biennial training methods.
Traditional CPR training has long been associated with logistical challenges and skills decay. This training method — involving lengthy classroom sessions every two years — often disrupts busy schedules and results in a significant time commitment. Moreover, less frequent training means skills learned in these sessions can deteriorate over time, potentially compromising CPR quality delivered in real-life emergencies.
Shorter, More Frequent Trainings Can Bolster Physician Confidence
In response to these challenges, the Resuscitation Quality Improvement® (RQI®) Program was developed as a transformative approach to CPR training. It uses a low-dose, high-frequency training model, offering healthcare professionals opportunities to practice and maintain their CPR skills every three months.
Unlike traditional biennial training sessions, which require a significant time investment, RQI sessions are shorter and more frequent, making it easier for busy healthcare providers to fit training into their schedules. RQI requires 48% less training time and is self-administered four times a year.
Kimberly Broeder, a physical therapist at Baptist Health, highlighted the advantages of the program. "Now with RQI, it is so much easier. We're fortunate to have a manikin in our department, so we don't even have to schedule time to go to the hospital to use the RQI manikins," she shared. "We're able to have everything there in the department."
Benefits of a Low-Dose, High-Frequency Training Method
David D. Bonnema, an interventional cardiologist at Trinity Health Muskegon, noted the improvement in CPR quality after switching to a low-dose, high-frequency training model. "With the implementation of RQI, there has been a significant step-up in the quality of CPR that I see from the team members taking care of patients," he explained. "I believe that the staff is well prepared for any situation based on the enrollment in RQI. Staff are familiar with both the tempo and the technique of CPR and how to perform high-quality CPR that results in changes in patient outcomes."
Dr. Broeder echoed this sentiment, noting that her own confidence has grown thanks to regular RQI trainings. She said CPR skills have become second nature to her, and the quarterly, on-site training has helped her team deliver better quality care than biennial training.
Initial Skepticism Common Among Physicians
Some physicians noted that, initially, they had some skepticism about the regularity and effectiveness of low-dose, high-frequency training sessions. However, as they experienced firsthand the benefits of regular practice and observed improvements in CPR quality among their colleagues, their skepticism transformed into support.
Dr. Bonnema explained that when he first heard RQI was implemented at Trinity Health, he and his staff had some skepticism about the training. "As it turns out, practice makes perfect," he shared. "When I saw the quality of CPR and the way they were working with patients and with staff members, I wanted to be a part, and I asked nursing leadership if I could enroll."
Leveraging the Value of the Low-Dose, High-Frequency Model at Ohio State University
Amy Kerger, DO, an associate professor, breast radiologist and vice chair of ambulatory services and business development for the department of radiology at Ohio State University (OSU), noted she had already been using the RQI Basic Life Support (BLS) Program in her division at the system's cancer hospital. She decided to speak to her department chair about bringing it to the rest of the radiology department.
As part of her vice chair role, Dr. Kerger works with the department of radiology and the health system to design and operate the radiology department's ambulatory services at the many OSU ambulatory sites across the city. So, she recognized the need for enhanced BLS and contrast reaction training to support faculty and staff at ambulatory sites as well as ensure the best patient care and safety. By advocating for a policy change that reclassified contrast reactions from high to low risk procedures, the change in risk status came with the requirement for faculty and staff to hold a BLS card, allowing for the integration of the RQI BLS Program.
"I've gotten lots of great feedback from other faculty and staff, saying that they feel so much more comfortable and confident with it," Dr. Kerger said, referring to the muscle memory that ongoing CPR training supports. "It makes us all feel confident in our skill set so that we know we will be able to help a patient in the rare instances that basic life support is needed."
Dr. Kerger and her colleague, Dr. Caitlin Hackett, created an educational course to train faculty and staff around contrast reaction identification and treatment. While compiling research for the course, they found that a lot of the literature shows that around six months after contrast reaction training, individuals start to forget things. So, they created challenge-based learning with contrast reaction scenarios mimicking the educational plan of RQI.
"We think it's that valuable," Dr. Kerger said. "That just goes to show how much we think the high-frequency training works for people. So when an emergency arises, people will have the knowledge to respond quickly with positive patient care outcomes."
Physician Contributions to Patients And Communities
It's crucial to highlight the significant contributions physicians make to individual lives and communities year-round. Continuous learning and hands-on practice not only improves knowledge but also boosts confidence in responding to critical situations, such as cardiac arrest emergencies.
To learn more about the benefits of RQI and more, check out our program page here.
