Improving Trauma Stabilization Training for Rural Family Medicine Residents

Background and objectives: Family physicians play a crucial role in the rural emergency medicine workforce.However, family medicine residency curricula do not typically prepare them for trauma stabilization, an essential skill in emergency care. Methods:To bridge this gap, we developed a Trauma and Emergency Medicine Track (TEMT) in our residency program.We used a prospective case-control approach to evaluate the program's 3 year impact on (a) preparing residents to lead trauma care, (b) providing opportunities to perform trauma-specific procedures, and (c) improving residents' comfort level with trauma stabilization.Results: Evaluation participation was 100% for cases and 73% for comparisons.Participating residents had statistically significant increases in comfort with key trauma care skills and procedures compared to residents who did not opt into this training.Non-TEMT residents were less likely to complete Advanced Trauma Life Support and enter the emergency medicine workforce upon graduation compared to TEMT residents.Eight of nine TEMT residents (88.9%) worked emergency department shifts for at least 6 months after training, and six of nine TEMT residents (66.7%) continued to do so. Conclusions:This trauma training track appears to prepare family medicine residents for the emergency medicine workforce.Our study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing a trauma program that could be replicated elsewhere.