Educating Anesthesia Residents to Improve Perioperative Care for the Elderly

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The investigators will design, test and implement a education curriculum for anesthesia residents teaching geriatric anesthesiology. The investigators will randomize 42 anesthesia residents so that half receive an innovative, e-learning curriculum while the other half receives the current standard curriculum. We will assess their medical knowledge, and the amount of anesthesia delivered to patients after the curriculum is implemented. The investigators will analyze any changes in clinical practice of residents in the care of elderly patients. Enrollment will be voluntary for all residents. Also, the investigators will not interfere with clinical management of any patients by residents which are done under direct supervision of faculty.

Official Title
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Educating Anesthesia Residents to Improve Perioperative Care for the Elderly

Conditions
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Anesthesia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Duke Anesthesiology Resident Willing to comply with study activities and guidelines Exclusion Criteria: Unable to comply with study activities and guidelines
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Education Intervention<br>The investigators will use an electronic learning (E-learning) curriculum with an educational video and a user-centered checklist for anesthesia residents. This E-learning curriculum will cover how to care for geriatric patients in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative settings, and specific interventions that have been shown to improve postoperative outcomes in older patients. The checklist will be user-centered. It will remind providers of what they learned in the video and online curriculum, and how to apply these lessons in real-time while they are caring for older patients. | Other: Education<br> <br> |
| No Intervention: Control<br>Residents randomized to this group will receive the current, standard education provided for all Duke Anesthesiology residents. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| average minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) fraction in patients over age 65 given general anesthesia by residents |  | 6 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| change in residents' geriatric anesthesia knowledge base to be measured using a pre- and post-test |  | 6 months | 
| mean bispectral index value in patients over age 65 given monitored sedation by residents |  | 6 months | 
| frequency of use of medications known to increase delirium risk given to patients over age 65 by residents |  | 6 months | 
| mean doses of medications known to increase delirium risk given to patients over age 65 by residents |  | 6 months |