The Role of Equipment Manufacturers in Sharing Knowledge
The vast majority of my job is devoted to education and sharing knowledge, whether that is with end users of our products or our own internal staff. I am lucky that my job allows me to do some very interesting things which means every day is like a day in school: I am always learning.
I would say that on average I get to cut between 50-60 new cars every year. All of this is done for the purpose of research and development. It allows me (and my colleagues) to assess all facets of extrication including;
- Tools
- Techniques
- New Ideas/Concepts
- Latest construction methods and safety features
In addition to the technical aspects of extrication I maintain my medical knowledge by retaining my position as a faculty member of Anaesthesia Trauma and Critical Care (www.atacc.co.uk) where I serve as a specialist instructor and I have also contributed to their online trauma manual which is FREE to download here (http://www.atacc.co.uk/e-learning/).
The best thing about knowledge is passing it on
I have travelled to nearly 100 countries. Of course the important thing here is not how full my passport is but more that it allows me to identify differing practices and identify good practice. It is not just me who does this. We have a team of people across the world that do similar things and have similar experiences, whether this is in UK, USA, China or South America. So, in short, we get to see and experience a lot of good stuff. But the question is, what do we do with all of this information? Keep it to ourselves? I have said for years that there is no point keeping all of this information on my laptop and I take every opportunity to share my experiences. This blog is a good point to start. In addition we have the Vehicle Extrication book, app, posters and very soon E-Learning. We have held many rescue experience events around the world and invited guest speakers to share their knowledge of both technical and medical aspects of rescue. So everyone is happy, right?
Conflict of interest?
Well, interestingly there are those who question the role of equipment manufacturers in sharing knowledge. A few weeks ago in the UK, a doctor gave a very interesting presentation regarding the medical aspects of extrication. During his presentation he claimed (illustrated with Holmatro tools) that when tool manufacturers deliver training, they create a conflict of interest. He went on to say that “These guys don’t want people doing minimally invasive extrications; they don’t want people doing rapid extrications. They want a controlled extrication using as many different types of equipment as possible. It is in the interest of these companies to sell you the latest, biggest, most exciting, most expensive equipment there is”.
Judge for yourself
This is an interesting (if a little disappointing) point of view which is clearly formed with no knowledge of the kind of training we have delivered in the past. Furthermore it also shows no knowledge of the contents of the training material we have produced. Whenever I am teaching extrication my first consideration for an extrication plan is an ‘Assisted Walk Out’. That is to say if the patient is not medically or physically trapped, then (with medical advice and assistance) they can be simply walked out of the vehicle. You and I both know that this possibly uses no equipment, perhaps no more than a gloved hand. In addition to that I always teach that extrication is based on the medical condition of your patient and not what tools you have.
Conclusion
Of course, the fact remains that I work for a company that produces rescue tools. However, I do believe that it is for you, the rescuer, to decide whether the information we share creates a conflict of interest. All I have to go on is some excellent feedback of the training material and seminars we have delivered worldwide. So whatever your view (and please feel free to express your thoughts!), we will endeavour to share the knowledge we gain in the course of developing rescue tools and working with people around the world.
Incidentally I have invited the doctor in question to visit Holmatro.
As ever, your feedback is most welcome!
Ian Dunbar