Pre-hospital airway management now part of the UCLH Airway Matters course

UCLH has teamed up with Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) to create an additional module to its Airway Matters, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). It will be available to learners later this month and will include new multimedia content dedicated to airway management in the pre-hospital setting. 

Launched in 2020, Airway Matters brings together patient experiences, international experts, authors of guidelines and frontline clinicians to create a unique course exploring the technical and non-technical aspects that support the development of strategies for safe airway management. 

It was the world’s first airway management MOOC and has attracted 30,000 learners from 165 countries. It covers key concepts surrounding safety, teamwork, skills and human factors, includes a series of 15-20 minute bite-size steps, a discussion forum facilitated by a dedicated faculty, and provides a global platform for exchange aimed at improving patient safety and experience through education. It is open to all health professionals who care for patients with compromised airways and is free of charge.

The course was developed by a team of UCLH anaesthetists, led by consultant Dr Emilie Hoogenboom, in partnership with UCL Digital Education and UCL Perioperative Medicine, and is hosted by the online platform Future Learn. It is endorsed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Difficult Airway Society and the European Airway Management Society.

Dr Julian Wijesuriya, UCLH consultant anaesthetist and KSS doctor, led the development of the pre-hospital content. He said: “It is a great privilege to contribute to the renowned Airway Matters course. This is the first pre-hospital open-access education content of its kind and highlights the value of collaboration between innovative healthcare organisations. Our goal is to help improve patient safety and outcomes by sharing clinical expertise and experience with multi-disciplinary learners on a global platform. We will take learners through a series of steps focused on the provision of safe airway management, with expert interviews, practical lessons, interactive steps and training videos.”

Airway Matters runs over six weeks, with four flexible hours of learning per week. The course is structured as follows:

Week 1: Safety, Human Factors and Ergonomics, Airway Anatomy
Week 2: Planning, Equipment, Airway Rescue
Week 3: Airway Obstruction and Advanced Management Techniques
Week 4: The Shared Airway, the Critically Ill Patient, Tracheostomies
Week 5: Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Obesity, a Global Perspective
Week 6: Pre-hospital Airway Management

More information and registration details here.