The Importance of a Transport Medicine Rotation for a Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship. Air Med J 2025;44(5):404-408
Date
08/24/2025Pubmed ID
40849157DOI
10.1016/j.amj.2025.06.017Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105010334588 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship programs must meet established educational standards; however, interfacility transport opportunities vary across sites.
OBJECTIVE: To query key stakeholders, is the interfacility transport medicine rotation still an important component of the PCCM fellowship?
METHODS: A multi-methods questionnaire was sent to a convenience sample (n = 66) of key stakeholders, including attending physicians, PCCM fellows, and transport team members, from a single site. An 80% response rate resulted in a total of 53 participants. Quantitative items used a Likert-scale and forced ranking response options. Qualitative responses were obtained regarding challenges and barriers during the rotation and to discern attributes of a successful fellow on transport.
RESULTS: The transport rotation was rated as important by 92% of the respondents (n = 53). Identified challenges included autonomy, decision-making, and teamwork. All stakeholder groups similarly ranked medical control principles as the most important. Fellows ranked flight physiology as highly important, whereas attending physicians and transport team members ranked medical protocols as highly important.
CONCLUSION: A transport medicine rotation during PCCM fellowship is important and highly valued by key stakeholders. Differences in perceptions exist regarding topics of importance and qualities of a successful provider performing medical transport across the stakeholder groups.
Author List
Pfister JK, McDermott KL, Schindler CA, Petersen TL, Yan K, Liegl MA, Rajapreyar PAuthors
Katie L. McDermott PhD, MEd, MSN Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinTara L. Petersen MS, MD Vice-Chair, Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jennifer K. Pfister DNP, MSN, BSN Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Ke Yan PhD, MS Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Critical CareFellowships and Scholarships
Humans
Pediatrics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transportation of Patients









