Retention of En Route Cricothyroidotomy Skills in Novice Providers Following a Simulation-Based Mastery Learning Curriculum.

Introduction: Surgical cricothyroidotomy (SC) is a vital skill that combat first responders must master as airway obstruction is the third most preventable cause of death on the battlefield. Degradation of skills over time is a known problem, and there is inadequate knowledge regarding the rate of SC skill retention. Our prior study showed that simulation-based mastery learning was effective in training 89 novices how to reliably perform an en route SC to mastery performance standards.

Development of a Simulation Surgical Cricothyroidotomy Curriculum for Novice Providers: A Learning Curve Study.

Introduction: Airway obstruction is the third most common cause of preventable death on the battlefield, accounting for 1%-2% of total combat fatalities. No previous surgical cricothyroidotomy (SC) studies have analyzed the learning curve required to obtain proficiency despite being studied in numerous other surgical technique training experiments. The aims of this study were to establish expert SC performance criteria, develop a novel standardized SC curriculum, and determine the necessary number of practice iterations required by a novice to reach this pre-determined performance goal.

"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps": a response to depression in older adults.

Although depression is one of the most common problems among adults in primary care settings, many do not seek or adhere to the treatment regimens suggested by their providers. Understanding the cultural model surrounding depression and its treatment in older adults might provide insight into the development of more effective strategies for addressing the problem in the clinical setting. In this study, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with adults over age 65.

Clinic-based treatment for opioid dependence: a qualitative inquiry.

Objectives: To identify barriers and facilitators to treatment of opioid dependence in primary care clinics.

Methods: In-depth interviews with 27 New York State clinic directors.

Results: Stigmatizing attitudes emerged as a major barrier.

'Breaking it down': patient-clinician communication and prenatal care among African American women of low and higher literacy.

Purpose: Low literacy has been associated with poor medical adherence, but its role in maternal care utilization has not been explored.

Methods: We undertook a concurrent mixed methods study among 202 African American women of low (< or = 6th grade) and higher literacy receiving Medicaid. Poor use of prenatal care was defined by (1) starting care after the first trimester and (2) inadequate care utilization according to the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index (APNCU).