Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T19:38:31.984Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Components of an Updated Disaster Medicine Curriculum Included in Emergency Medicine Residency and Emergency Medical Services Fellowship in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2024

Sara P. Sandifer Open the ORCID record for Sara P. Sandifer [Opens in a new window] ,
Bryan J. Wexler Open the ORCID record for Bryan J. Wexler [Opens in a new window]  and
Avram Flamm Open the ORCID record for Avram Flamm [Opens in a new window]
Sara P. Sandifer
Affiliation:
Penn State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania USA
Bryan J. Wexler
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, WellSpan York Hospital, York, Pennsylvania USA
Avram Flamm*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, WellSpan York Hospital, York, Pennsylvania USA
*
Correspondence: Avram Flamm, DO, EMT-P, FACEP, FAEMS System EMS Medical Director WellSpan Health 905 Indian Rock Dam Rd York, Pennsylvania 17403 USA E-mail: aflamm@wellspan.org
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

Disaster medicine (DM) is a unique field that has undergone significant development as disaster events become increasingly complicated to respond to. However, DM is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or Accreditation Committee of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and therefore lacks board certification. Furthermore, prior studies have shown that there is unique body of DM knowledge not being addressed in emergency medicine (EM) residency or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) fellowship, resulting in fundamental DM topics not being covered amongst graduate medical education (GME) programs most prepared to produce DM physicians. A recently published DM core curriculum addresses this knowledge gap and seeks to promote standardization of DM training.

Study Objective:

The objective of this study is to analyze EM residency and EMS fellowship curricula for the inclusion of DM major curriculum topics and subtopics, using the most recently published DM core curriculum as a control.

Methods:

Both EM residency and EMS fellowship curricula were analyzed for inclusion of DM curriculum topics and subtopics, using the DM curriculum recommendations published by Wexler, et al as a control. A major curriculum topic was deemed covered if at least one related subtopic was described in the curricula. The included and excluded DM topics and subtopics were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

While all the DM major curriculum topics were covered by either EM residency or EMS fellowship, EMS fellowship covered more major curriculum topics (14/15; 93%) than EM residency (12/15; 80%) and EMS fellowship covered more DM curriculum subtopics (58/153; 38%) than EM residency (24/153; 16%). Combined, EM residency and EMS fellowship covered 65 out of 153 (42%) of the DM curriculum subtopics.

Conclusion:

Although this study finds that all the DM major curriculum topics will be covered in EM residency followed by EMS fellowship, over one-half of the subtopics are not covered by either program (16% and 38%, respectively) or both programs combined (42%). Increasingly relevant subtopics, such as climate change, droughts, and flooding, are amongst those not covered by either curriculum. Even amongst the DM topics included in GME curricula, an emphasis on themes such as mass treatment, preparedness, and mitigation is likely under-represented. Accreditation from ACGME for DM fellowship would further promote uniform implementation of the updated core curriculum and ensure optimal training of disaster-ready physicians.

Keywords

disaster medicineeducationEmergency Medical Servicesemergency medicine
Type
Research Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , April 2024 , pp. 218 - 223
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

World Health Organization. Proceedings of the WHO/PAHO Technical Consultation on International Foreign Medical Teams (FMTs) Post Sudden Onset Disasters (SODs). https://www.paho.org/en/documents/proceedings-whopaho-technical-consultation-foreign-medical-teams-fmts-post-sudden-onset. Published 2010. Accessed May 28, 2023.Google Scholar
Burkle, FM. Conversations in disaster medicine and public health: the profession. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(1):5–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emergency Medicine Subspecialities. American Board of Medical Subspecialities Web site. https://www.abms.org/member-boards/specialty-subspecialty-certificates/. Accessed May 24, 2023.Google Scholar
Focused Practice Designation (FPD). American Board of Emergency Medicine. https://www.abem.org/public/become-certified/focused-practice-designation. Accessed June 1, 2023.Google Scholar
Brice, JH, Perina, DG, Liu, JM, Braude, DA, Rinnert, KJ, MacDonald, RD. Development of an EMS Curriculum. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2014;18(1):98–105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Standards for Initial Certification. American Board of Medical Specialties Web site. https://www.abms.org/board-certification/board-certification-standards/standards-for-initial-certification/. Accessed June 1, 2023.Google Scholar
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Emergency Medical Services. https://www.acgme.org/specialties/emergency-medicine/program-requirements-and-faqs-and-applications/. Accessed May 26, 2023.Google Scholar
Accreditation. Accreditation Council for Graduation Medical Education Web site. https://www.acgme.org/what-we-do/accreditation/. Accessed January 15, 2023.Google Scholar
Disaster Medicine Fellowship. SAEM Web site. https://www.saem.org/about-saem/Services/fellowship-approval-program/disaster-medicine-fellowship. Accessed January 14, 2023.Google Scholar
Fellowship Directory - List View. SAEM Web site. https://member.saem.org/SAEMIMIS/SAEM_Directories/Fellowship_Directory/SAEM_Directories/P/FellowshipList.aspx. Accessed January 14, 2023.Google Scholar
Sandifer, SP, Wexler, BJ, Flamm, A. Comparison of disaster medicine education in emergency medicine residency and Emergency Medical Services fellowship in the United States. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2023;38(3):378–383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wexler, BJ, Schultz, C, Biddinger, PD, et al. The 2023 Model Core Content of Disaster Medicine. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2023;38(6):699–706.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beeson, MS, Ankel, F, Bhat, R, et al. The 2019 Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. J Emerg Med. 2020;59(1):96–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Delbridge, TR, Dyer, S, Goodloe, JM, et al. The 2019 Core Content of Emergency Medical Services Medicine. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2020;24(1):32–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brice, JH, Perina, DG, Liu, JM, Braude, DA, Rinnert, KJ, MacDonald, RD. Development of an EMS curriculum. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2014;18(1):98–105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System Board on Health Care Services. Future of Emergency Care Series: Emergency Medical Services at the Crossroads. Washington, DC USA: National Academies Press; 2006.Google Scholar
Clemency, B, Martin-Gill, C, Rall, N, Patel, D, Myers, J. US Emergency Medical Services Fellows. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):339–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed