Improving Nasopharyngeal Swab Technique via Simulation for Frontline Workers.
Laryngoscope
; 2022 Feb 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2231250
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS:
Nasopharyngeal swabs currently remain the gold standard for COVID-19 sample collection. A surge in testing volume has resulted in a large number of health care workers who are unfamiliar with nasal anatomy performing this test, which can lead to improper collection practices culminating in false-negative results and complications. Therefore, we aimed to assess the accuracy and educational potential of a realistic 3D-printed nasal swab simulator to expedite health care workers' skill acquisition. STUDYDESIGN:
Prospective pre-post interventional study.METHODS:
A nasal swab task trainer (NSTT) was developed to scale from computed tomography data with a deviated septum. Frontline workers at COVID-19 testing sites in Ontario, Canada, were recruited to use the NSTT for nasopharyngeal swab training. Integrated video recording capability allowed participants to self-evaluate procedure accuracy. A five-point Likert scale was collected regarding the NSTT's educational value and procedural fidelity.RESULTS:
Sixty-two frontline workers included in the study were primarily registered nurses (52%) or paramedics (16%). Following simulator use, self-assessed accuracy improved in 77% of all participants and 100% of participants who expressed low confidence before training. Ninety-four percent reported that the NSTT provided a complete educational experience, and 82% regarded the system as a more effective training approach than what is currently available. Eighty-one indicated that the simulator should be used at all COVID-19 testing sites, with 77% stating province-wide implementation was warranted.CONCLUSIONS:
The nasal swab task trainer is an effective educational tool that appears well-suited for improved skill acquisition in COVID-19 testing and may be useful for training other nasal swab applications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 2022.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal subject:
Otolaryngology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Lary.30034
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