Improving Hazardous Material Incident Preparedness for Emergency Medicine Physician Trainees: A Quality Improvement Project

Introduction: Hazardous materials (HazMat) training is not a requirement for accreditation of US Emergency Medicine (EM) residencies, nor EM board certification by the American Board (ABEM). However, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires hospitals train all personnel expected to deal with contaminated patients. This QI project aimed develop an physician-specific HazMat course evaluate physician comfort level personal protective equipment (PPE) donning doffing, triage, procedural skills, decontamination. Method: A four-hour “HazMat Docs” was designed at large urban academic trauma center offered second-year residents. Additionally, we performed quantitative survey cohort 72 current recently graduated residents (classes 2019-2024), some whom had taken in person. Our primary outcome measure improvement essential tasks after completing course. secondary or physician's overall levels managing incident, as well skills knowledge retention. Results: total 53 responses (73.6%) were obtained. 45.3% respondents male 54.7% female. 37.8% recent graduates, 20.8% PGY-4, 13.2% PGY-3, 15.1% PGY-2, PGY-1. 16/53 (30.2%) prior EMS experience. Physicians most comfortable doffing PPE (4.92 on 7-point scale) least decontamination procedures (2.98/7). After course, physicians increased their 8.6% organizing multi-disciplinary ED response 10.5%. Conclusion: Physician are low. Increased improving knowledge, preparedness, such events necessary can be accomplished through short