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CDC and Johns Hopkins Collaborate to Develop Ebola Training Module for Nurses, Physicians and Health Care Workers - 10/24/2014
From left to right: Justin Geko (JHH), Pete Doyle (JHH), Tina Hon (JHH), Pam Falk (APIC), Kerri Huber (JH Bayview), John Benson (APL), Tener Veenema (School of Nursing JHU), Lisa Tomlinson (APIC)
Christopher Myers
Johns Hopkins Medicine has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to design an interactive Web-based learning program that guides health care workers, nurses and physicians through government-approved protocols to aid clinicians as they provide care to patients who may be at risk of contracting the Ebola virus. The program trains health care providers in three critical areas: proper donning of personal protective equipment (PPE), the safe removal of gear and active monitoring skills. All three modules will be available for free on the CDC’s website in the coming weeks and later available to the millions of iOS users on iTunes U.
Spearheading the initiative are infection prevention and safety experts from the . Over the course of five days, the team worked with experts in infectious disease, nursing, systems engineering, content development and visual design from across the country to create an interactive learning experience for health care workers. The 40-member, multidisciplinary team included representatives from academic institutions, such as Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) to professional organizations, such as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
“This is a unique time in health care where collaboration between public, private, and government entities is essential to help solve this new crisis,” says , M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for patient safety and quality improvement at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and director of the Armstrong Institute. “This innovative environment has prompted spirited discussions from different areas of expertise, and these types of respectful conversations result in a better resource for nurses and physicians—and an overall better health outcome for dedicated care providers across our nation.”
To prepare for the online program’s development, systems engineers visited The Johns Hopkins Hospital to watch a team of biocontainment experts to understand the specific environment and constraints faced by nurses and clinicians caring for patients who could possibly have contracted Ebola virus disease. Next, the full team reviewed the CDC guidelines and searched for possible discrepancies between the words written on the page, and the actions performed by care providers in the hospital.
“People in general are so scared with Ebola, and they don’t understand how hard it can be to take on and off this protective equipment,” said Sandy Swoboda, R.N., M.S., an intensive care nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a simulation educator and clinical researcher with the Johns Hopkins schools of medicine and nursing. “To an untrained eye, it looks easy, but there are specific procedures and steps that you have to follow. A misstep can lead to a potentially negative health outcome.”
Elements such as limited space in a hospital room or even the anxiety and exhaustion of the health care workers can further complicate intensive situations. Using a variety of human factors and safety engineering methods, the team is identifying potential safety failures in the donning and doffing of protective gear and risk factors that could lead to contamination. Module scripts highlight these risks and how to mitigate them to make it easier for clinicians to comply with CDC guidelines in a real situation. These instructions are then tested in a simulation center, where novices and experts replicate the guidelines described. Revised and corrected steps are then filmed.
“People are visual learners,” says , a human factors engineer and patient safety faculty member with the Armstrong Institute, and project leader for the group behind the modules’ development. “To be efficient and effective, information must be presented contextually as well as visually to engage health care workers and help them retain the information for use in real-world situations when working with patients.”
The course will be available through iTunes U, the world’s largest online catalog of free educational content from top schools and prominent organizations. According to Forbes, more than 85 percent of physicians in the United States have iOS devices, providing instant access to this much-needed iTunes U content right on their Apple devices.
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Notices & Policies (Patients & Health Plan Members) Language Assistance Available:Motorcycling
Injuries to motorcyclists are out of proportion to their presence on our roads. Motorcyclists are just 1% of total road traffic, but account for 19% of all road user deaths.
Motorcyclists are roughly 38 times more likely to be killed in a road traffic accident than car occupants, per mile ridden
motorcyclists died and 4,866 were seriously injured in road collisions in Great Britain.
Motorcyclist KSIs have fallen since 2008 when 493 motorcyclists were killed and 5,556 were seriously injured on Britain's roads.
30 motorcyclists are killed or injured every day at junctions
THINK! advice for motorcyclists
The following tips will help keep you and other road users safe.
defensively makes you less vulnerable
Make sure you:
anticipate the actions of others
are alert and observant
can slow down and stop if the unexpected happens
position yourself in the safest and best place to maximise your visibility of potential hazards
take a 'lifesaver' glance over your shoulder before carrying out manoeuvres, so you know where others are and what they’re doing
Consider further skills training to improve your performance and safety on the road
Wear the right gear
Fall off your bike and tarmac will shred through your jeans in seconds. Wearing the right gear is just as important to your safety as servicing your motorcycle and knowing how to ride it.
Wear bright or florescent gear during the day and reflective gear at night
Bikers must wear a protective jacket, gloves, boots and trousers
Choosing the right helmet could help save your life
The SHARP rating system helps you understand how much protection a helmet offers in a crash.
THINK! advice for drivers
Here are a few simple ways of avoiding crashes with motorcyclists:
THINK! take longer to look for bikes:
Look carefully for motorbikes when you pull out at a junction.
If you're approaching a junction, look out for motorcyclists pulling out too.
Keep your distance
Driving too close can intimidate a less experienced motorcyclist.
Check for bikes when changing lanes
A motorcyclist may be in the space you want to move into, or moving into it fast. Remember your blind spot.
Check for bikes when turning
Parked cars or large vehicles can obstruct your view of a motorcyclist.
Motorcyclists might pass you on either side
Double-check for motorcyclists, whether you're turning left or right.
Park safely
Check for motorcyclists before opening your car door - and ensure that your passengers do the same. When you pull away, remember to look specifically for motorcyclists as they can accelerate faster than cars.
WATCH: The THINK BIKE THINK BIKER TV advert encourages drivers to look out for motorcyclists.
Bike maintenance advice:
THINK! road safety education resources organised into lesson packs by age and key stage:
THINK! resources for professionals, including materials, research and brand guidelines
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