PACT Program Modules Complete
The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) has completed the first full edition of its multi-disciplinary, distance-learning program, Patient-centered Acute Care Training (PACT), which aims to improve and harmonize the quality of acute care medicine. The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) has supported this program as a useful resource for critical care trainees and is encouraged that PACT continues to grow internationally and within the United States. The PACT program also coincides with the recommendations of the Competency-Based Training Program in Intensive Care Medicine for Europe (CoBaTrICE) Project, making it an important tool in the effort to develop uniformed, competency-based training for critical care practitioners.
“The PACT program provides a comprehensive high-quality resource for self-directed interactive learning in critical care,” said Janice Zimmerman, MD, FCCM. Zimmerman represented SCCM on the PACT Editorial Committee, providing feedback to ensure content was applicable to U.S. critical care practice. The Society supports the PACT program as part of its effort to ensure the finest education for healthcare providers and to promote continuous quality improvement, providing continuing medical education credits for many of the modules.
PACT includes 44 modules grouped in four categories: clinical problems, organ-specific problems, professionalism, and skills and techniques. Each PACT module is available electronically and contains a series of tasks and patient challenges meant to reflect realistic intensive care unit (ICU) cases and situations as well as the day-to-day work of critical care practitioners. Trainees are asked to interpret the nature of problems and make management decisions based on the scenarios presented. Each module is interactive and designed to help trainees build their knowledge in an active manner. They are encouraged to reflect on decisions, consider consequences, and think critically about how to apply the lessons. The program also offers multiple-choice questions with scoring to help identify a user’s strengths and weaknesses. PACT is used widely throughout Europe as an excellent tool for trainees preparing for the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine examination, and it can be used in the United States to educate critical care fellows or prepare students for the critical care board examination. In addition, all critical care practitioners, regardless of discipline or location, can use this program for quick updates in critical care or as an education resource.
While the majority of PACT’s 1,000-plus subscribers are from Europe, PACT is gaining popularity in the United States. Sanjeev V. Chhangani, MBA, MD, FCCM, medical director of the surgical intensive care unit at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, has been using the PACT modules for five years to teach anaesthesia critical care fellows and residents as well as physician assistants and medical students. He said PACT stands apart from most other education programs because it includes case studies and a post-test, which both allow for more interactive learning. “I find them to be very helpful because each module is so comprehensive. The best way to teach is through case-based scenarios and problem-based questions. The guided questions in PACT walk students through the different aspects of the case in a very thorough way. The teacher can quickly assess students’ progress in specific areas.”
The completed PACT first edition is the result of hard work from more than 120 authors from 16 countries including the United States, 17 module editors, 100 reviewers, the PACT Steering Committee and ESICM staff. The program will be updated regularly to ensure the latest critical care knowledge is reflected in each module.
What’s New With PACT?
Four New Modules Complete the PACT Program
Four new modules were added to the PACT to complete the first edition. The latest modules address:
• Infection Control Strategies
• Hemodynamic Monitoring
• Bleeding and Thrombosis
• Sepsis and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
New Pricing Structure
PACT’s pricing structure has changed to make the program more affordable to purchase and easier to update. Discounts now are available to fellowship programs, and subscriptions can be time-limited to match the length of the training scheme. Keep checking www.esicm.org for pricing updates.
Earn CE Credit
The Society offers continuing medical education credit for most of the modules. Visit the Clinical Practice Fundamentals section of LearnICU.org for more information.
Access the Full PACT Program
Visit www.esicm.org to access a free demonstration of select PACT modules as well as pricing and subscription information.
