Supplemental File I: Questionnaire

General

  1. Age (years)
  2. Gender (male/female)
  3. Year in residency (PGY-1 to PGY-6)
  4. Written Boards exam passed? (yes/no)
  5. Oral Boards exam passed? (yes/no)

Burden of Tracheotomies

  1. How many tracheotomy procedures are conducted in your hospital in your estimation, per year?
    a. Less than 50
    b. 50-100
    c. More than 100
  2. What is the percentage of pediatric tracheotomies (<16 years) from the total number of tracheotomies in your hospital in your estimation?
    a. Less than 5%
    b. 5-10%
    c. More than 10%
  3. Are percutaneous tracheotomies performed in your hospital? (yes / no)
  4. In your assessment, who performs the majority of percutaneous tracheotomies in your hospital?
    a. Otolaryngologists.
    b. General surgeons.
    c. Intensive care unit physicians.
    d. Others : ______
  5. Who performs the majority of open tracheotomies in your hospital?

a.Otolaryngologists.

b. Intensive care unit physicians.

c. Others: ______

  1. If yes, are they exclusively performed by the personnel in Q10? (yes/no)
  2. Where the majority of open tracheotomies are performed in your hospital?

a. Operating room.
b. Intensive Care Unit (respiratory/pediatric).
c. Floor (bedside).

Surgical Experience

  1. How confident were you when you performed open tracheotomy in the beginning of your residency?
    a. Not at all.
    b. Poorly.
    c. Moderately.
    d. Strongly.
    e. Very strongly.
    Why? ______
  2. How confident are you when you perform open tracheotomy now?
    a. Not at all.
    b. Poorly.
    c. Moderately.
    d. Strongly.
    e. Very strongly
    Why? ______
  3. As a first surgeon, how many tracheotomy procedures have you performed so far?
    a. Less than 50
    b. 50-100
    c. More than 100
  4. As a second/assistant surgeon, how many tracheotomy procedures have you performed so far?
    a. less than 50
    b. 50-100
    c. more than 100
  5. Did you witness any life-threatening complications of tracheotomies in your department/hospital (i.e., early decannulation, fistula, hemorrhage)? (yes/no)
    Please provide details : ______
  6. Are elective or semi-elective tracheotomies performed during on-call shift/afterhours in your department? (yes/no)
  7. If yes, are they usually performed with a senior physician? (yes/no)

Teaching

  1. Did you receive any teaching regarding tracheotomy? (yes/no)
  2. Is there a scheduled teaching program for tracheotomy in your department? (yes/no)
  3. Did you receive teaching regarding the different cannulas types and their post-operative treatment? (yes/no)
  4. Is independency in performing tracheotomy considered an eligibility criterion for starting on-calls in your department? (yes/no)
  5. How many hours did you receive regarding tracheotomy? ______
  6. How many hours are needed, in your opinion? ______
  7. From your experience, how is teaching for tracheotomy performed in department?
    a. Self-learning.
    b. From senior residents.
    c. From attending physicians.
    d. Other : ______
  8. In your opinion, how should such a teaching program should be performed? ______