|
Every day we at the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) receive numerous questions. We are asked about everything from where to find certain clinical or professional information to SCCM administration and management issues. In this issue of Critical Connections, I am pleased to answer several of the most frequently asked questions we receive. If you have a specific question, please feel free to contact the SCCM staff at info@sccm.org. You will receive a personal and timely response to your query.
Is a Web site upgrade coming soon?
Five years ago SCCM upgraded its information management systems, which included a new Web site design that was integrated with SCCM's central management database, the place where membership, registration and related information is processed and stored. Since that time, SCCM has grown by 40% to nearly 13,000 members. Last fall, the SCCM Council authorized major upgrades to SCCM's information technology infrastructure, which will be followed by major changes and additions to the central management database system and the Web interfaces used by membership and the public. During the coming months, look for major changes in SCCM's online presence, including:
- One central sign-on portal with personalized preference controls
- Greater ease-of-use for online business transactions
- Two Web sites separating organizational and clinical/educational information
- A new stand-alone patient/family site
- Simplified access to SCCM's online journals and abstract systems both for submission and reference, using the central sign-on portal
Members will begin receiving notification about these upgrades at the Annual Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana in January. Changes will roll out in stages throughout 2006. The most frequently asked questions handled by SCCM's customer service staff come from those looking for assistance when accessing the online version of Critical Care Medicine.
Is there more to the Right Care Right NowTM program than the brochure I received in the mail?
The Right Care, Right NowTM program is much more than the brochure members received last fall. The program embodies SCCM's core belief that patients benefit most when they receive the correct care in a timely fashion. In addition to this brochure, which was mailed to every SCCM member and 30,000 nonmembers in October 2004, a video communicating the same message is presented at conferences and meetings and is available on the SCCM Web site. In addition, a brochure for hospital administrators and those that might not espouse the concept or be unable to implement the use of a multiprofessional team directed by an intensivist was mailed to 29,000 people in hospital decision-making positions. The Right Care, Right NowTM program is at the core of SCCM's strategic plan, and we are changing how we develop and deliver educational programs based on the “Learn It, Deliver It, Measure It, Improve It” paradigm.
As SCCM reorganizes and augments it education support staff with the addition of two healthcare education professionals, look for many improvements in the design and coordination of educational programs. These changes will include more innovative learning techniques, take-home tools and follow-up activities to ensure the information SCCM delivers is helpful and used by members who participate in these activities, ultimately resulting in better patient care.
Does SCCM’s triangle logo mean something?
I'm told by a long-time supporter and former staff member of SCCM, Charm Kohlenberger, that the SCCM's current triangular logo is a modern version of SCCM's original design. The original design included the words education, research and patient care - ideas that are still at the center of SCCM's charitable mission to this day. The original logo is still used as part of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) logo. The Society's stylized triangular logo now is incorporated with its main trademark, which also includes SCCM's name and the clarifying statement “The Intensive Care Professionals.” When space or design limitations do not favor the main logo, SCCM uses a round logo featuring the stylized How are conference sites and dates selected? The Society organizes numerous conferences each year, and it seems everyone has a location preference. We do our best to accommodate as many members as possible when making site selections. The Society's elected council has determined that the annual Critical Care Congress, SCCM's largest event, will be held in January or February every year. To minimize winter travel problems, Congress typically is held in the southern part of the United States. The winter dates were selected to avoid conflicts with other professional meetings that SCCM members attend. Congress locations also rotate geographically in an east/central/west pattern to ensure that this stellar educational event is held near as many participants as possible as often as possible. The other four to six annual conferences hosted by SCCM usually are planned in sites away from the Congress location. This way, members with travel restrictions are able attend these educational events. Chicago was chosen as the permanent location for the annual review course because of its central, northern location; and the course is held in summer, just before board examinations. In September, SCCM will host a similar course in Beijing, China to bring SCCM's programs closer to members in Asia. The Summer Conference, which is held in collaboration with the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), features a clinical topic in three half-day sessions and rotates between the northern United States and Europe. Other SCCM conferences are scheduled so they do not conflict with other meetings, ensuring that SCCM's multiprofessional membership has as much access as possible to these events.
What new programs is SCCM working on?
The growth of SCCM's programs in the past five years has mirrored the strong growth of its membership. The Society has been developing new programs during this time, and those that have been introduced or will debut soon include: ICU REPORT and ICU IndexTM The ICU Resource, Evaluation, and Patient Outcomes Rating Tool (REPORT) and the ICU IndexTM soon will be available to help institutions assess the status of their critical care facilities, implement plans for continuous quality improvement, and meet goals set forth by healthcare policy, accreditation and economic entities. The ICU IndexTM is a tool incorporated within the program aimed at giving clinicians a quick and comprehensive view of their intensive care unit (ICU) to help them target areas for improvement.
Hospital Mass-Casualty Disaster Management (HDM) Course
The HDM course prepares non-critical care healthcare professionals to augment hospital inpatient capacity, specifically critical care capacity, in the wake of a disaster. This course teaches basic disaster management knowledge with focus on the inpatient setting to improve U.S. hospital preparedness and response for higher likelihood disasters. It also provides critical care core knowledge and skill sets to non-critical care specialists, so they can manage seriously ill disaster victims in collaboration with critical care health professionals.
Professional Benchmarking Data
Recently released publications are available featuring survey data on the compensation and benefits of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and respiratory therapists working in critical care, as well as the results of an additional survey that includes useful data about patients, approaches to care and the use of guidelines and protocols in ICUs across the United States.
Medical Emergency Teams
Medical Emergency Teams (METs) are a means of identifying, evaluating and stabilizing acutely ill patients within a hospital but outside the physical boundaries of an ICU. METs are designed to mobilize appropriate resources and personnel to avert impending and developing crises in the hospital. The Society is hosting a four-hour program about METs, with international experts as speakers, at Congress in January 2006. Also in the early fall of 2006, a presentation on METs will be a part of SCCM's new continuing education program, “Emerging Paradigms in Critical Care.” Cutting-edge information on patient safety, simulators and high reliability organizations will be included in this conference. A pre-conference workshop on team building will precede this course.
New programs and activities which will be launched or will be developed as part of SCCM's 2006 program plan include:
Translating Guidelines into Practice
The clinical and administrative guidelines produced by the American College of Critical Care Medicine are one of the most highly valued SCCM member benefits. A program is being developed to translate these guidelines into practice through sample protocols and simple measurement aids. Pre- and post-implementation data also will be collected online. Outcome analysis and feedback that can be compared with other participants will be provided.
Pediatric Mid-Level Provider Course
A pediatric critical care course for midlevel providers also will be added to SCCM's educational program lineup. This innovative specialty-based educational course is designed to enhance the current knowledge and skills of midlevel pediatric providers (such as advance practice nurses, physician's assistants and others) and will contain didactic and hands-on skill stations. This course also will provide a forum for these providers to discuss emerging evidence-based trends in the care of the critically ill child and the effects these trends have on nursing care and the multiprofessional team. Look for the course in summer of 2006 just prior to the Multiprofessional Critical Care Review Course.
Online Resident Education
The Society has a task force working on an online curriculum and assessment tool for residents and other professional caregivers in adult ICUs. Resident education in critical care medicine (RICU) soon will be available to all resident program directors interested in evaluating their residents as well as to SCCM members interested in brushing up on the most current critical care treatment modalities. While space limitations will not permit me to continue, the answer to any question you may have about SCCM is as close as your computer or telephone. Send an email or call and the helpful staff at SCCM will provide you with a wealth of useful information. I encourage you to contact us whenever you have a question or concern. We are here to assist you!
|