Mechanical Ventilators Training to Address Urgent Need During COVID-19 Pandemic

edX and Harvard are launching a free online course on mechanical ventilators use that addresses an urgent need for medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number of patients requiring critical care continues to grow, medical professionals who do not normally work in an ICU setting are being reassigned to the ICU. This course was created for these medical professionals to provide the preparation they need to treat COVID-19 patients and use mechanical ventilators.

“We are deeply fortunate to be located in a city that has a unique depth and breadth in academia and healthcare. That one of our experts, Dr. Susan Wilcox, leapt into action during the biggest public health crisis in a century to bring a course on the use of mechanical ventilators to medical professionals worldwide is testament not only to the skill but also to the commitment and dedication of Boston’s best,” said Bharat Anand, PhD, Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University.

The Mechanical Ventilators Course

The course was developed in collaboration with the American Association for Respiratory Care, Dr. Susan Wilcox and Thomas Piraino. Wilcox is the Division Chief, Critical Care at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston leading the team addressing the influx of COVID-19 patients, and Piraino is the Clinical Specialist for Mechanical Ventilation for the Centre of Excellence in Mechanical Ventilation at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Wilcox and Piraino wanted to create a resource that would help not only their teams but teams across the globe who are experiencing the same urgent challenge. While the global shortage of ventilators remains a major issue, proper training is another challenge that hospitals will face, and this course aims to address that need.

“Working on the front lines of this pandemic at Massachusetts General Hospital, I see everyday how critical it is for all medical professionals to be trained in the use of a mechanical ventilator. I’m hopeful that this succinct course will provide my colleagues around the world with the essential information they need to make an impact immediately,” said Dr. Susan Wilcox, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Critical Care, Department of Emergency Medicine (MGH); Staff Intensivist, Heart Center ICU (MGH).

Thomas Piraino, Clinical Specialist, Mechanical Ventilation for the Centre of Excellence in Mechanical Ventilation at St. Michael’s Hospital; Lecturer (Adjunct), Department of Anesthesia, Division of Critical Care at McMaster University said, “As the entire global medical community works together to combat this pandemic, I’m proud to work with Dr. Wilcox to create this course that is universally helpful to all medical professionals in this situation. This effort is one of many examples of the type of community collaboration that will be required to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

Bringing together Wilcox and Piraino’s experience with edX and Harvard’s expertise in delivering high-quality online courses that deliver practical knowledge that can be applied immediately, this course was rapidly developed and made available for medical professionals anywhere.

The course is available for free on edX.org.