An Educational Outreach Program: A Trauma System's 5-Year Experience.

BACKGROUND:The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma requires Level I and II trauma centers to provide educational outreach to lower-level facilities. Although outreach is a required part of any trauma system, very little is published on the resources required for a successful program. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive roadmap of the required components to achieve a successful trauma outreach program. METHODS:This project describes the development and implementation of an educational outreach program from January 2016 to December 2020 that has grown from 27 facilities within one western state to 49 facilities across 14 different states. Program components measured include the number and attendance of trauma courses offered, including the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC), the number of trauma meetings and webinars provided, total trauma center designation and reviews, total states reached, and total trauma center collaborations. RESULTS:From 2016 to 2020, the program more than doubled the number of TNCC and ATLS courses, maintained the number of RTTDC offered, and observed attendance rate increases of 33% and 11% for TNCC and ATLS courses, respectively. Outreach leadership attended 44 trauma meetings and educational webinars using virtual platform technology, nearly doubling the trauma center outreach with expansion across 14 states resulting in important changes in practice. CONCLUSION:With administrative support, effective leadership, and technology, outreach programs can serve as important resources for statewide trauma systems.