Introduction: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common presentation to emergency departments (ED). Of these patients, 35-45% receive a blood transfusion. Guidelines for blood transfusion in UGIB have been well established, and recommend a hemoglobin (Hb) level below 70 g/L as the transfusion target in a stable patient. There is no consensus on a transfusion threshold for unstable UGIB. There is limited data regarding physician practices in the ED. The aim of our study is to determine the appropriateness, by expert consensus, of blood transfusions in UGIB in a tertiary care hospital ED. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients presenting with UGIB to the University of Alberta Hospital ED in 2016. These patients were then screened for blood transfusions. Data were obtained from the patient records. Chart derived data were verified with records obtained from the blood bank. For each patient, the history, vitals, Glasgow Blatchford Score (GBS), relevant labs, and record of blood transfusions were collected and organized into a case summary. Each patient summary was presented individually to a panel of three expert clinicians (2 Gastroenterology, 1 Emergency Medicine), who then decided on the appropriateness of each blood transfusion by consensus. Results: Blood transfusions (data available 395/400) were given to 51% (202/395) of patients presenting with UGIB. Of these, 86% (174/202) were judged to be appropriate. Of the 395 patients, 34% (135/395) had a Hb of <70 g/L. Of these, 93% (126/135) were transfused, and all of these were considered appropriate. 18% (70/395) had a Hb between 71-80. 74% (52/70) of these patients were given blood, and 79% (41/52) were considered appropriate. 13% (50/395) of the patients had a Hb between 81-90, with 28% (14/50) receiving a transfusion. Of these, 36% (5/14) were deemed to be appropriate. 35% (140/395) of patients had a Hb of >90. 7% (10/140) of these received blood. 20% (2/10) were considered appropriate. Conclusion: The panel of expert clinicians judged 86% of the blood transfusions to be appropriate. All transfusions under the recommended guideline of 70 g/L were considered appropriate. In addition, the majority of transfusions above a Hb of 70 g/L were considered appropriate, but 37% were not. Further studies evaluating the feasibility of current guideline recommendations in an ED setting are required. Educational interventions should be created to reduce inappropriate blood transfusions above a Hb 70 g/L.

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is being incorporated into Canadian undergraduate medical school curricula. The purpose of this study was to evaluate novel PoCUS education sessions to determine what aspects of the sessions benefitted from hands-on training and which PoCUS skills were retained over time. Methods: Second year medical students voluntarily received three different PoCUS training sessions, each lasting three hours. Prior to the sessions, participants prepared independently with pre-circulated online learning materials. After a 15-minute lecture, experienced PoCUS providers led small group (1 instructor: 5 students), live scanning sessions. Evaluations were conducted before and after each session using expert validated multiple choice questions testing general and procedural knowledge, image recognition and interpretation. Volunteer students were evaluated via direct observation of live scanning using an objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSAT) based on the O-score and then re-evaluated at 2 months post-training to assess PoCUS skills retention. Results: 40 second year medical students participated in extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (eFAST), cardiac, and gallbladder PoCUS sessions. The live-training sessions significantly improved student PoCUS knowledge beyond what they learned independently for eFAST (p < 0.001), cardiac (p < 0.001), and gallbladder (p = 0.02). The largest improvement was noted in procedural knowledge test scores improving from 44.0% to 84.0% (n = 38). 16 students were evaluated after each session with a mean O-score of 2.37. 8 students returned two months later to be re-evaluated demonstrating a change in O-scores for eFAST (2.00 to 2.38, p = 0.15), cardiac (2.28 to 2.00, p = 0.32), and gallbladder (2.91 to 1.88, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Procedural PoCUS knowledge benefited the most with hands-on training. eFAST and cardiac PoCUS competency was maintained over time while gallbladder PoCUS competency degraded suggesting that targeted PoCUS skills training may be possible. Further study is required to determine the best use of PoCUS resources in undergraduate medical education.

Innovation Concept: Consultation skills (the collaborator role) are key for safe and effective Emergency Medicine practice. The tool described uses educational techniques familiar to Emergency Physicians and residents (rapid cycle deliberate practice and focused debriefing) to incorporate teaching of this skill into on-shift clinical teaching of Emergency Medicine residents. Methods: We searched the literature for consultation teaching methods. We developed a tool to teach consultation as part of on-shift clinical teaching using pedagogical concepts familiar to Emergency Medicine residents, rapid cycle deliberate practice and focused debriefing. The developed tool has three phases; 1) Introduction to a framework for good consultation skills, 2) Managing push-back and understanding competing frames of reference and 3) Direct observation and feedback on the actual consultation. The tool is designed to be used during a clinical shift. Over a series of consecutive cycles the resident refines a consultation and is eventually directly observed during the actual interaction with a consultant. Curriculum, Tool or Material: For each of the three phases the tool provides a framework for the preceptor to use to guide the presentation and discussion. During phases 1 and 2 the resident will present the consultation a number of times and the preceptor will provide focused debriefing allowing the presentation to be refined and optimized. During phase 3 the preceptor provides direct observation of the actual consultation followed by focused debriefing. Phase 1: Focuses on understanding the learners current skill level and presents a framework for a high quality consultation. Phase 2: Introduces the concept of competing frames of reference and push-back and patient centred strategies for managing this situation. Phase 3: The actual consultation interaction between resident and consultant is observed and debriefed. Conclusion: Consultation skills are important in the day to day practice of Emergency Medicine but rarely the subject of specific teaching. The tool presented can be used during clinical shifts to teach consultation skills using pedagogy familiar to both Emergency Physicians adEM residents.

Innovation Concept: Emergency medicine (EM) programs have restructured their training using a Competence by Design model. This model emphasizes entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that residents must fulfill before advancing in their training. The first EPA (EPA 1) for the transition to discipline (TTD) stage involves managing the unstable patient. Data from the University of Toronto (U of T) program suggests residents lack enough exposure to these patient presentations during TTD – creating a disconnect between anticipated clinical exposure and the expectation for residents to achieve competence in EPA 1. Methods: To overcome this gap, U of T EM faculty specifically targeted EPA 1 while designing the TTD curriculum. Kern's six-step approach to curriculum development in medical education was used. This six-step approach involves: problem identification, needs assessment, goals and objectives, education strategies, implementation and evaluation. To maximize feasibility of the new curriculum, existing sessions were mapped against EPAs and required training activities to identify synchrony where possible. Residents were scheduled on EM rotations with weekly academic days that included this novel curriculum. Curriculum, Tool or Material: Didactic lectures, procedural workshops and simulation were closely integrated in TTD to address EPA 1. Lectures introduced approaches to cardinal presentations. An interactive workshop introduced ACLS and PALS algorithms and defibrillator use. Three simulation sessions focused on ACLS, shock, airway, trauma and the altered patient. A final simulation session allowed spaced-repetition and integration of these topics. After the completion of TTD, residents participated in a six-scenario simulation OSCE directly assessing EPA 1. Conclusion: The curriculum was evaluated using a multifaceted approach including surveys, self-assessments, faculty feedback and OSCE performance. Overall, the curriculum achieved its goal in addressing EPA 1. It was well-received by faculty and residents. Residents rated the sessions highly, and self-reported improved confidence in assessing unstable patients and adhering to ACLS algorithms. The simulation OSCE demonstrated expected competency by residents in EPA 1. One limitation identified was the lack of a pediatric simulation session which has now been incorporated into the curriculum. Moving forward, this innovative curriculum will undergo continuous cycles of evaluation and improvement with a goal of applying a similar design to other stages of CBD.

Innovation Concept: Medical students often face challenges when entering clerkship. The abundance of teaching tools and online resources make it difficult for learners to navigate and apply knowledge in a clinical setting. Although valuable study aids exist across Emergency Medicine (EM) clerkship curriculums, a convenient resource tailored to junior learners for on-shift use is lacking. We created an academic resource with the intent of assessing student engagement with the handbook. Methods: Ottawa's Clerkship Guide to Emergency Medicine was developed using information from a commonly used EM textbook and relevant literature. After a comprehensive peer-review by staff EM physicians, the resource was published online and made available to learners in March 2018. To assess utility of this resource, a national survey was administered followed by a Likert-type analysis. Website metrics and the survey results were used to guide a sustainable model for annual student-driven resource updates. Curriculum, Tool or Material: The handbook contains high-yield EM topics organized into one-page summaries. The main sections include resuscitation, symptoms-based approach, and medical emergencies. Students can access the handbook online, via mobile app, or use a printable version. Over 7300 unique downloads have occurred since launch. Our national survey revealed that of the total respondents (N = 171, 93.6% 3rd-year clerks, 31.6% uOttawa students), 97.1% (n = 166) had used the handbook on shift. A majority were able to find an answer to their clinical question either fully (53%, n = 88) or partially (46.4%, n = 77) and many would recommend this resource as-is (62.7%, n = 104) or with some modifications (34.3%, n = 57). Compared to the student's preferred clinical resource, mean Likert-type scores showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive difference in favor of the handbook regarding themes of organization (3.83 vs. 4.38), length (3.43 vs. 4.76) and ease in accessibility (3.46 vs. 4.79). Conclusion: The value of this handbook for junior learners entering their acute care rotation is evident. We demonstrated that student uptake of this handbook was robust. Compared to commonly used resources, students felt this handbook was more organized, concise in length, and easy to integrate into their clinical workflow. Implementation of this handbook across Canadian EM curriculums may bridge the EM knowledge gap in junior learners and off-service residents.

Innovation Concept: Resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) is a life-saving procedure in select trauma patients. However, RT is infrequently performed, limiting trainee exposure. In a survey of American training programs, graduating residents had performed an average of 3 RTs. There is no published data regarding the number of RTs observed and performed by Canadian trainees. We theorized that RT procedural exposure and comfort level would be low in emergency medicine (EM) trainees at our institution due to lack of exposure. Thus, we aimed to create a first person procedural video using local resources to teach RT. Methods: We first created a needs assessment survey conducted within Western University Division of Emergency Medicine over two months in 2018. Senior residents observed an average of 1.5 RT procedures and participated in an average of 0.6. Furthermore, 88% of senior residents cited a lack of confidence in their ability to perform this procedure and 87% indicated an instructional video would be a valuable educational tool. We created a video described in detail below. Prior to video distribution a survey was distributed asking respondents to list the critical steps in performing an RT. Participants were then asked to view the video and complete the survey again. Responses were scored by two independent reviewers. Curriculum, Tool or Material: An immersive cadaveric simulation video was developed in collaboration with a trauma surgeon at our institution. The video reviewed our thoracotomy tray, RT indications/contraindications, and demonstrated a narrated first-person RT on a floppy embalmed cadaver. Potential difficulties encountered during the procedure are highlighted throughout the video with troubleshooting tips suggested. Conclusion: We had 46 survey respondents from our division (25 residents and 21 consultants). After viewing the video, procedural step scores were significantly higher for junior FRCPC (p = 0.001), senior FRCPC (p = 0.013), and CCFP-EM (p < 0.001) residents as well as consultants (p = 0.016). There was also an increase in the number of respondents who reported confidence in their ability to perform RT post-video (n = 4 pre-video; n = 11 post-video). This video is an inexpensive, effective way to teach the critical procedural steps of RT and can be easily adapted for use at other institutions. Next steps for further education in this topic include development of a hands-on cadaveric simulation curriculum for residents.

Innovation Concet: Resuscitative clinician-performed transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a relatively new ultrasound application that has the potential to guide the management of critically ill patients in the emergency department. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a brief training workshop for teaching a resuscitative TEE protocol to emergency medicine residents using a high-fidelity simulator. Methods: Emergency medicine residents with no prior TEE experience that were rotating through a university-affiliated emergency department were invited to participate in the study. Participants completed a questionnaire and baseline skill assessment using a high-fidelity simulator. The training session included a 20 minute lecture followed by 10 simulated repetitions of a 5-view TEE sequence with instructor feedback. Learning was evaluated by a skill assessment immediately after training and a transfer test 1-2 weeks after the training session. Ultrasound images and transducer motion metrics were captured by the simulator for blinded analysis. The primary outcome of this study was the percentage of successful views before and after training as determined by two blinded reviewers using an anchored scoring tool. Secondary outcomes included time to scan completion and diagnostic accuracy on the transfer test. Assessment scores were compared using a two-tailed t-test. Curriculum, Tool or Material: 22 of 25 (88%) of invited residents agreed to participate in the study. Percentage of successful views increased from 44.5% (SD 27.9) at baseline to 98.6% (SD 3.5) after training (p < 0.001), and was 86.8% (SD 12.1) on transfer testing (p < 0.001). Time to complete the scan was 330 seconds at baseline, 125 seconds after training (p < 0.001), and 184 seconds (p < 0.001) in the transfer test. Participants made the correct diagnosis in 75% (SD 25.6) of the cases in the simulated patient encounter. The descending aorta view had the highest success rate (93.2%) and the midesophageal long axis view had the lowest success rate (75.0%). Conclusion: A brief simulation-based workshop was effective for teaching emergency medicine residents a five-view resuscitative TEE protocol. Future studies are needed to determine optimal methods for long-term skill retention.

Innovation Concept: Transition to independent practice is challenging and early career physicians are more prone to burnout and error. Despite recommendations for formal mentorship to support physicians, only 43.6% of US academic Emergency Medicine departments have such programs. We describe an innovative mentorship program designed to support these early career physicians and enhance quality of care, career longevity, and wellness. We operationalized mentorship in which experienced, highly regarded, empathic mentors guide mentees in their personal and professional development. Methods: In this program two Emergency Physician mentors were teamed with each newly hired Emergency Physician. Mentees could request their own mentors, and teams were matched on the basis of shared personal and academic interests. Mentors received academic funding and training on good mentorship practice, roles and responsibilities, and feedback. Teams had to meet formally at least twice a year, with additional contact as needed. While mentees set the meeting agenda, teams were also encouraged to address four main areas. These areas were identified from a targeted needs assessment and literature review. They include: 1) clinical process and care, 2) departmental structure and culture, 3) teaching and scholarship, and 4) physician wellness. After meetings, mentees summarized and submitted the topics discussed and reflected on action plans. An oversight committee supported the program. Curriculum, Tool or Material: All nine (9) newly hired physicians joined the program in Fall 2018. As of December 2018, six (6) teams have had formal meetings. They discussed the following areas: clinical processes and care (50%), departmental structure and culture (100%), teaching and scholarship (67%), and physician wellness (100%). Other areas discussed include: academic career, financial planning, and networking. Teams spent 20-60% of the time formulating steps to achieve mentee career goals. They spent 40-60% of the time discussing skills and resources needed. End of year program evaluation will include outcomes such as satisfaction, value, effectiveness, projects, promotions, and awards. The results will shape future program design. Conclusion: We implemented a mentorship program for newly hired Emergency Physicians. As mentorship is integral to successful transition to independent practice, this program model could be highly beneficial to other academic Emergency Medicine departments.

Innovation Concept: The fairness of the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) selection process has been called into question by rising rates of unmatched medical students and reports of bias and subjectivity. We outline how the University of Saskatchewan Royal College emergency medicine program evaluates CaRMS applications in a standardized, rigorous, equitable and defensible manner. Methods: Our CaRMS applicant evaluation methods were first utilized in the 2017 CaRMS cycle, based on published Best Practices, and have been refined yearly to ensure validity, standardization, defensibility, rigour, and to improve the speed and flow of data processing. To determine the reliability of the total application scores for each rater, single measures intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated using a random effects model in 2017 and 2018. Curriculum, Tool or Material: A secure, online spreadsheet was created that includes applicant names, reviewer assignments, data entry boxes, and formulas. Each file reviewer entered data in a dedicated sheet within the document. Each application was reviewed by two staff physicians and two to four residents. File reviewers used a standardized, criterion-based scoring rubric for each application component. The file score for each reviewer-applicant pair was converted into a z-score based on each reviewer's distribution of scores. Z-scores of all reviewers for a single applicant were then combined by weighted average, with the group of staff and group of residents each being weighted to represent half of the final file score. The ICC for the total raw scores improved from 0.38 (poor) in 2017 to 0.52 (moderate) in 2018. The data from each reviewer was amalgamated into a master sheet where applicants were sorted by final file score and heat-mapped to offer a visual aid regarding differences in ratings. Conclusion: Our innovation uses heat-mapped and formula-populated spreadsheets, scoring rubrics, and z-scores to normalize variation in scoring trends between reviewers. We believe this approach provides a rigorous, defensible, and reproducible process by which Canadian residency programs can appraise applicants and create a rank order list.

Innovation Concept: Emergency Medicine (EM) residency programs in Canada have transitioned to competency based medical education and the first stage of the curriculum focuses on standardizing learner competency. Pre-internship boot camps provide a focused opportunity to assist with this standardization prior to residency training. The objective of this descriptive review was to describe our institution's EM pre-internship boot camp in the context of current literature and to summarize the state of EM boot camp curricula across all reported EM residency programs. Methods: The description of our two-day boot camp included its curriculum design, required preparation and resources, and a detailed timeline of each day's events. To compare our boot camp to current literature, a comprehensive search of both primary and gray literature was performed. Curriculum, Tool or Material: Our institution's boot camp is two days of teaching focused on clinical knowledge and procedural competency, with a large component centered on simulation. Day one consisted of an introduction to the boot camp, a review of crisis resource management principles and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) algorithms, ACLS simulation sessions, and small group skill sessions on common emergency department procedures. Day two contained a point of care ultra sound lecture, an ultrasound guided central venous catheterization session, pigtail and chest tube insertion sessions, and high-fidelity simulation cases. In comparison to the other pre-internship boot camps that were identified in the literature, our boot camp offers a unique focus and format. Conclusion: This review is the first to report on an EM-specific boot camp at a non-American institution, and it provides a framework for the development and refinement of pre-internship EM boot camps at other universities.

Background: Acute pain is a common presentation in the Emergency Department (ED) and inadequacy in its treatment can lengthen stay. Earlier analgesia use and discharge has been associated with positive patient experiences and improved pain management. Validated ‘fast-track pathways’ to aid physician decision making in analgesic administration is associated with decreased waiting times in renal colic diagnoses. Aim Statement: Our aim was to create an order set, for an approach to patients with acute pain, to reduce median time from point of triage to analgesia. We sought to reduce median time by 15 minutes, for ED patients with renal colic in the three months after implementation as compared to three months before. Measures & Design: We used a literature review and comparison to existing order sets at other EDs to design our draft. We focused our evaluation on patients with renal colic. We underwent multiple revisions based on stakeholder feedback and educated both physician and nursing teams about the order set. The utilization, however, was at physician discretion. We implemented the order set on March 30, 2017. After three months, an electronic retrospective chart review identified patients with a final renal colic diagnosis. For each patient, we captured triage time using electronic records and time to analgesia with the medication cart. Utilization of order sets was confirmed via manual chart audit. Evaluation/Results: A run chart showed worsening times after the intervention. Median time to analgesia in minutes, 3 months prior (n = 90) and post (n = 93) intervention, increased from 228 to 310 minutes, although the range was very large. Chart audits demonstrated a considerably low uptake of the order set with a small gradual increase from 0% to 20% over the 3-month period. Discussion/Impact: There was insufficient uptake of the Acute Pain order set preventing impact on time to analgesia. Changes in occupancy likely contributed to the worsening times. There was an increase in utilization over the 3-month period and could be due to increased awareness. This demonstrates that interventions require more than implementation to be effective. Difficulties in implementation were due to the document not being readily available. We have organized the nursing staff to attach order sets onto charts based on triage assessment and will re-assess with another PDSA cycle after this intervention.

Background: Understaffing in mass casualty incidents limits flow in the overwhelmed emergency department, which is further compounded by inefficient use of those same human resources. Process mapping analysis of a “Code Orange” exercise at a tertiary academic hospital exposed the failures of telephone-based emergency physician fan-out protocols to address these issues. As such, a quality improvement and patient safety initiative was undertaken to design, implement, and evaluate a new mass casualty incident fan-out mechanism. Aim Statement: By February 2019, emergency physician fan-out will be accomplished within 1 hour of Code Orange declaration, with a response rate greater than 20%. Measures & Design: Process mapping of a Code Orange simulation highlighted telephone fan-out to be ineffective in mobilizing emergency physicians to provide care in mass casualty incidents: available staff were pulled from their usual duties to help unit clerks unsuccessfully reach off-duty physicians by telephone for hours. Stakeholders subsequently identified automation and computerization as a compelling change idea. A de-novo automated bidirectional text-messaging system was thus developed. Early trials were analyzed for process measures including fan-out speed, unit clerk involvement, and physician response rate, with further large-scale tests planned for early 2019. Evaluation/Results: Only 50% of telephone fan-out was completed after a 2-hour exercise despite 3 staff supplementing the 2 on-shift unit clerks, with a 4% physician response rate. In contrast, data from initial trials of the automated system suggest that full fan-out can be performed within 1 hour of Code Orange declaration and require only 1 unit clerk, with text-messages projected to yield higher physician response rates than telephone calls. Early findings have thus far affirmed stakeholder sentiments that automating fan-out can improve speed, unit clerk efficiency, and physician response rate. Discussion/Impact: Automated text-message systems can expedite fan-out protocol in mass casualty incidents, relieve allied health staff strain, and more reliably recruit emergency physicians. Large-scale trials of the novel system are therefore planned for early 2019, with future expansion of the protocol to other medical personnel under consideration. Thus, automated text-message systems can be implemented in urban centres to improve fan-out efficiency and aid overall emergency department flow in mass casualty incidents.

Background: Chest tube insertion is a time and safety critical procedure with a significant complication rate (up to 30%). Industry routinely uses Lean and ergonomic methodology to improve systems. This process improvement study used best evidence review, small group consensus, process mapping and prototyping in order to design a lean and ergonomically mindful equipment solution. Aim Statement: By simplifying and reorganising chest tube equipment, we aim to provide users with adequate equipment, reduce equipment waste, and wasted effort locating equipment. Measures & Design: The study was conducted between March 2018 and November 2018. An initial list of process steps from the best available evidence was produced. This list was then augmented by multispecialty team consensus (3 Emergency Physicians, 1 Thoracic Surgeon, 1 medical student, 2 EM nurses). Necessary equipment was identified. Next, two prototyping phases were conducted using a task trainer and a realistic interprofessional team (1 EM Physician, 1 ER Nurse, 1 Medical student) to refine the equipment list and packaging. A final equipment storage system was produced and evaluated by an interprofessional team during cadaver training using a survey and Likert scales. Evaluation/Results: There were 47 equipment items in the pre-intervention ED chest tube tray. After prototyping 21 items were removed while nine critical items were added. The nine items missing from the original design were found in four different locations in the department. Six physicians and seven RNs participated in cadaver testing and completed an evaluation survey of the new layout. Participants preferred the new storage design (Likert median 5, IQR of 1) over the current storage design (median of 1, IQR of 1). Discussion/Impact: The results suggest that the lean equipment storage is preferred by ED staff compared to the current set-up, may reduce time finding missing equipment, and will reduce waste. Future simulation work will quantitatively understand compliance with safety critical steps, user stress, wasted user time and cost.

Background: In 2016 The Fraser Health Authority's Emergency Network established a priority to standardize patient access and flow through their 13 emergency departments (ED). A Model of Care (MOC) was developed after an extensive review of the literature and current practices across BC. Aim Statement: The ED Model of Care (MOC) specifies best practice expectations with respect to emergency patient access and flow. Rather than a ‘top-down’ mandate of expected practices, the MOC provided the opportunity for site-based teams to promote solutions that were ‘locally actioned and regionally enabled’. Measures & Design: ED Quality Improvement (QI) teams were developed at all sites. The ED Network developed a “QI Bootcamp”, a one-day course focused on imparting tools to drive improvements, providing a baseline understanding of how to launch and sustain local QI initiatives. Using Prosci's change approach, an emphasis was placed on using local ingenuity to implement plans, analyze feedback and diagnose gaps. This approach measured utilization of the changes to tangibly link initiatives and change to specific outcomes. As part of this strategy, an online scorecard was created to measure local results against best practice outcomes. The scorecard tracked quantitative access metrics such as ED Length of Stay (EDLOS), Left Without Being Seen rate, and triage time. Measures such as forming a QI team, identifying a QI project and completing a PDSA cycle were included in the scorecard Evaluation/Results: The MOC change management strategy was launched in May of 2018. By December 2018 all 13 EDs had formed a local QI team and identified a project. Twelve sites had completed at least one PDSA cycle and 10 sites had at least 75% of their members attend the QI Bootcamp. The scorecard displayed improvements in flow metrics. Highlights include the average arrival to triage time decreasing by 36% at one site, EDLOS for moderately ill patients decreased from 4.8 to 3.4 hours at another, and a community hospital had low acuity patient EDLOS decrease from 3.52 to 2.37 hours. Discussion/Impact: A standardized approach to patient access and flow in the ED (MOC), combined with the engaging grass roots approach to inspiring local innovation, allied with a concrete change management approach demonstrated significant results for patients accessing and moving through EDs. This pattern that is more likely to sustain itself because the results are felt and locally owned.

Background: In Alberta in 2016 more people died from an opioid overdose than from motor vehicle crashes. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist - it can reverse an opioid overdose for a period of 30 to 60 minutes. Naloxone kits are available free at emergency departments and community organizations around the province with training provided at the point of pickup. It is possible that training may be refused or may be forgotten and people are often left to rely solely on the instructions included in the kit. Human centred design can improve the way people interact with overdose instructions. Aim Statement: This study will measure the effectiveness and usefulness of prototype community naloxone kit instructions over a six month period of time (2018) in Calgary and Edmonton with the aim to use human centred design principles to improve the way people interpret emergency overdose response directions. Measures & Design: Information design experts engaged people with lived experience to provide a process map outlining the current role that educational materials and instructions for community naloxone kits play in responding to an opioid overdose. Alberta Health Services (AHS) Human Factors, in collaboration with AHS harm reduction developed the protocol and administered pre- and post-questionnaire and specific ‘performance checkpoints’ intended to measure effectiveness and usefulness. A simulated overdose including a mannequin, injection trainer and anatomical paper diagram was designed and a community naloxone kit with instructions setting was provided. Participants were recruited through harm reduction nurses with pre-existing clinical relationships (experienced group), family and friends of people who use opioids and general public (non-experienced) through the University of Alberta Faculty of Art and Design. Evaluation/Results: A total of 30 voluntary participants provided their informed consent and engaged in a simulated overdose scenario using a set of prototype instructions developed by a professional information designer. Through repeated data sampling, the following points were observed and will be integrated in the next iteration of design: It isn't clear to people what opioids are. It isn't clear to people that giving a dose of naloxone will not harm a person, especially if they have not overdosed. Almost none of the participants called 911. People seem to read pictures and text equally in the non-experienced group, but in the experienced group, typically read the pictures. Many participants stated that they knew how to do rescue breaths, but did not perform them correctly. Performing the procedure is a not the same as being asked about how to perform the procedure. Discussion/Impact: Even with new instructional prototypes, many participants identified components that were unclear or confusing. The experienced group made less mistakes than the non-experienced group. They seemed to be more invested or interested in saving a friend's life. These instructions will go through another round of design to incorporate feedback from end users. The final product will be part of a larger provincial emergency medicine initiative that includes participant led design and education around emergency response in opioid overdose settings.

Background: Buprenorphine/naloxone (bup/nal) is a partial opioid agonist/antagonist and recommended first line treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Emergency departments (EDs) are a key point of contact with the healthcare system for patients living with OUD. Aim Statement: We implemented a multi-disciplinary quality improvement project to screen patients for OUD, initiate bup/nal for eligible individuals, and provide rapid next business day walk-in referrals to addiction clinics in the community. Measures & Design: From May to September 2018, our team worked with three ED sites and three addiction clinics to pilot the program. Implementation involved alignment with regulatory requirements, physician education, coordination with pharmacy to ensure in-ED medication access, and nurse education. The project is supported by a full-time project manager, data analyst, operations leaders, physician champions, provincial pharmacy, and the Emergency Strategic Clinical Network leadership team. For our pilot, our evaluation objective was to determine the degree to which our initiation and referral pathway was being utilized. We used administrative data to track the number of patients given bup/nal in ED, their demographics and whether they continued to fill bup/nal prescriptions 30 days after their ED visit. Addiction clinics reported both the number of patients referred to them and the number of patients attending their referral. Evaluation/Results: Administrative data shows 568 opioid-related visits to ED pilot sites during the pilot phase. Bup/nal was given to 60 unique patients in the ED during 66 unique visits. There were 32 (53%) male patients and 28 (47%) female patients. Median patient age was 34 (range: 21 to 79). ED visits where bup/nal was given had a median length of stay of 6 hours 57 minutes (IQR: 6 hours 20 minutes) and Canadian Triage Acuity Scores as follows: Level 1 – 1 (2%), Level 2 – 21 (32%), Level 3 – 32 (48%), Level 4 – 11 (17%), Level 5 – 1 (2%). 51 (77%) of these visits led to discharge. 24 (47%) discharged patients given bup/nal in ED continued to fill bup/nal prescriptions 30 days after their index ED visit. EDs also referred 37 patients with OUD to the 3 community clinics, and 16 of those individuals (43%) attended their first follow-up appointment. Discussion/Impact: Our pilot project demonstrates that with dedicated resources and broad institutional support, ED patients with OUD can be appropriately initiated on bup/nal and referred to community care.

Background: Most admissions to hospitals occur through the emergency department (ED). The impact of emergency physicians’ decisions to admit a patient to hospital can have wide ranging effects on health care spending, hospital congestion and patient outcomes. A growing body of evidence shows that outpatient management of conditions such as diverticulitis, heart failure and pulmonary embolism is both safe, effective and can reduce costs. Aim Statement: To support emergency staff in making safe, informed decisions to appropriately reduce admission rates without increasing the rate of patients returning and being admitted. Measures & Design: Significant variability in admission rates between emergency physicians exists and no correlation between actual and self-reported admission rates is observed. One means to change behavior is through audit and feedback, however a Cochrane review on this topic concluded that it was only effective if specific conditions were met; findings which were incorporated into this project. An audit tool was created comparing individual physicians’ admission and “bounce back” rates to their peers. The tools contained averages for the individual and site for admission and bounce back rates and were shared with physicians every 2 months. Physicians were divided into three equal groups, low, medium and high admitters and targets established. Department heads met with high admitters. Evaluation/Results: The project was started in September 2016. Admission rates in the three physician groups were compared in the ten months before September 2016 (prior) and after January 2017 (post). September to December 2016 was considered the “rollout” period and not included in the analysis. Significance was tested using a Permutation test and a p-value cut off level of 5%. Nine emergency departments took part. Seven sites experienced a significant decrease in the admission rate of top admitters, three showed a significant increase in the rate of low admitters and two showed a significant increase in the rate of medium admitters. Pooled results showed a decrease in the admission rates of the top admitters and no significant change to the medium or low admitters. Discussion/Impact: Comparing the pre- and post-periods yielded a decrease in admissions of 773 patients on an annualized basis. The impact of the change in the top five highest admitters at the biggest three hospitals estimated an annualized beds savings of 25.3 beds.

Background: Older adults in the emergency department (ED) take an increasingly larger portion of resources, have increased length of stay and a higher likelihood of adverse outcomes. In many cases bad planning, multiple vague handovers, and lack of coordinated care exacerbate this problem. With the impending onset of our aging population this is a situation that can be expected to compound in complexity in the years to come. Aim Statement: We describe daily interdisciplinary review of ED patients over the age of 75 years (or otherwise identified as a challenging discharge) to discuss barriers and facilitators to discharge/disposition. We will use data to identify the impact of this particular population to ED flow. Measures & Design: This initiative developed from our participation in the Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Collaborative and applies Plan/Do/Study/Act (PDSA) cycles and run reports to compare: length of stay; Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening tool; ED census, admission/discharge rates, bounce back rates, consulting services, and interdisciplinary participation. Evaluation/Results: The average daily census of our ED between the months of July-October of 2018 was over 211 patients/day, of which over 12% were patients 75 years and older. We conducted over 70 huddles, reviewing an average of 11 patients per day. The average length of stay for patients at the time of the huddle was 19 hours, significantly higher than the general emergency population. Next day admission and discharge rates were comparable, 44.8% and 43.1% respectively with the additional patients remaining in the ED with no disposition. Internal medicine was consulted on 30% of all huddle patients and 38.4% subsequently admitted. Thirty day bounce back rates for huddle patients discharged home was 29.3%. Around 60% of patients 75 and older were screened with the ISAR and 55.7% of these were positive (2 or more questions). Discussion/Impact: Older patients consume a disproportionate amount of ED resources. Daily interdisciplinary ‘geriatric huddles’ improved communication between members of the ED team and with consulting services. The huddles enhanced awareness of the unique demands that older adults place on the flow of the ED, and identified opportunities to enhance patient flow.

Introduction: Delirium is a frequent pathology in the elderly presenting to the emergency department (ED) and is seldom recognised. This condition is associated with many medical complications and has been shown to increase the hospital length-of-stay. The objective of this study was to identify the predictor factors of developing delirium in this high-risk population. Methods: Design: This study was part of the multicenter prospective cohort INDEED study. Participants: Patients aged 65 and older, initially free of delirium and with an ED stay of 8h or longer, were followed up to 24h after ward admission. Measures: Clinical and demographic variables were collected by interview and chart review. A research professional assessed their delirium status twice daily using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Analyses: A classification tree was used to select predictors and cut-points that minimized classification error of patients with incident delirium. After literature review, nineteen predictors were considered for inclusion in the model (eight non-modifiable and eleven modifiable factors). Results: Among the 605 patients included in this study, incident delirium was detected by the CAM in 69 patients (11.4%). In total, fourteen variables were included in a preliminary model, of which six were intrinsic to the patient and eight were modifiable in the ED. Variables with the greatest impact in the prediction of delirium includes age, cognitive status, ED length of stay, autonomy in daily activities, fragility and mobility during their hospital stay. The diagnostic performance of the model applied to the study sample gave a sensitivity of 78.3% (95% CI: 66.7 to 87.3), a specificity of 100.0% (95% CI: 99.3 to 100.0), a PPV of 100.0% (95% CI: 93.4 to 100.0) and a NPV of 97.3% (95% CI: 95.6 to 98.5). Conclusion: The delirium risk model developed in this study shows promising results with elevated sensitivity and specificity values. Considering the limited ability to predict and detect delirium among physicians, the potential increase in sensitivity provided by this tool could be beneficial to patients. This model will ultimately serve to identify high-risk patients with the goal of developing strategies to alter modifiable risk factors and subsequently decrease the incidence of delirium in this population.

Introduction: This systematic scoping review aims to synthetize the available evidence on the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical characteristics, screening tools, prevention strategies, interventions and knowledge of health care providers regarding elder abuse in the emergency department (ED). Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using three databases (Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library). Grey literature was scrutinized. Studies were considered eligible when they were observational studies or randomized control trials reporting on elder abuse in the prehospital and/or ED setting. Data extraction was performed independently by two researchers and a qualitative approach was used to synthetize the findings. Results: A total of 443 citations were retrieved from which 58 studies published between 1988 and 2018 were finally included. Prevalence of elder abuse following an ED visit varied between 0.01% and 0.03%. Reporting of elder abuse to proper law authorities by ED physicians varied between 2% to 50% of suspected cases. The most common reported type of elder abuse detected was neglect followed by physical abuse. Female gender was the most consistent factor associated with elder abuse. Cognitive impairment, behavioral problems and psychiatric disorder of the patient or the caregiver were also associated with physical abuse and neglect as well as more frequent ED consultations. Several screening tools have been proposed, but ED-based validation is lacking. Literature on prehospital- or ED-initiated prevention and interventions was scarce without any controlled trial. Health care providers were poorly trained to detect and care for older adults who are suspected of being a victim of elder abuse. Conclusion: Elder abuse in the ED is an understudied topic. It remains underrecognized and underreported with ED prevalence rates lower than those in community-dwelling older adults. Health care providers reported lacking appropriate training and knowledge with regards to elder abuse. Dedicated ED studies are required.