Targeted Issues Grant Program Update -- The Michigan Pediatric Emergency Medical Services Error Reduction Study (MI-PEERS)

For paramedics, administering accurate drug doses to children is a difficult task that is low frequency and high risk. Lack of real life experience, infrequent training, little feedback and lack of tools to make the process easier all contribute to an error rate of approximately 30 percent for all drugs.

The Michigan Pediatric Emergency Medical Services Error Reduction Study (MI-PEERS) is trying to change this. Dr. John Hoyle along with his co-investigators, Dr. Glenn Ekblad, Tracy Hover and Dr. Bill Fales are conducting the study at the Western Michigan University, Homer Stryker, MD School of Medicine. The team has introduced a 10 item “safety bundle” to eight EMS agencies throughout Michigan. The bundle includes checklists for pediatric equipment and drug dosing, on-line pediatric training twice monthly, 911 dispatchers are asking callers for a patient weight and then transmitting that to the responding EMS crew, a pediatric QI process, an anonymous error reporting system and use of a new length-based tape.

The 8 MI-PEERS agencies are being compared to 8 EMS agencies that have not received the safety bundle. Personnel in the safety bundle agencies have completed extensive training on the tools in the bundle and patient safety practices. The agencies are being evaluated in 2 different ways, through simulation and through the Michigan EMS database, MIEMSIS.

We have completed our pre-bundle simulation assessment of all 16 EMS agencies. This consisted of 142 simulations in our simulation center and a mobile simulation trailer. We presented our preliminary findings last year at the National Association of EMS Physicians meeting in San Diego. The presentation was awarded the Best Pediatric Research Presentation.

The bundle agencies have been utilizing the bundle for approximately 2 years, and we will reassess all agencies this summer with simulation. We will then compare the pre and post bundle performance to assess the impact of the safety bundle.

Check us out on the web and social media!

 Web -- www.mi-peers.org

 Instagram -- wmed_mipeers

 Twitter -- @PeersMi

 Facebook (closed group). Search Mipeers.