Pulmonary embolism response team implementation improves awareness and education among the house staff and faculty

Abstract

A subset of high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients requires advanced therapy beyond anticoagulation. Significant variation in delivery of care has led institutions to standardize their approach by developing Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT). We sought to assess the impact of PERT implementation on house staff and faculty education. After implementation of PERT, we employed a targeted educational intervention aimed to improve PERT awareness, familiarity with treatment options, role of echocardiogram and Doppler ultrasound, and knowledge of acute PE risk stratification tools. We conducted an anonymous survey among the house staff and faculty before and after intervention to assess the impact of PERT implementation on educational objectives among clinicians. Initial and follow up samples included 115 and 109 responses. The samples were well represented across the subspecialties and all levels of training, as well as junior and senior faculty. Following the educational campaign, awareness of the program increased (72.2–92.6%, p < 0.01). Proportion of clinicians with reported comfort level of managing PE increased (82.4–90.8%, p = 0.07). Proportion of clinicians with self-reported comfort with explaining all available treatment modalities to patients increased (49.1–67.9%, p = 0.005). Proportions of responders who correctly identified the role of echocardiography in risk stratification of patients with known PE increased (73.9–84.4%, p = 0.07). Accurate clinical risk stratification of acute PE increased (60.2–73.8%, p = 0.03). The implementation of a targeted educational program at a tertiary care center increased awareness of PERT among house staff and faculty and improved physician’s accuracy of clinical risk stratification and comfort level with management of acute PE.