Using Simulation to Develop an ECMO Transport Program

The transport of a critically ill patient supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) between institutions is a high-risk, low-frequency event. Such transports require the coordination of a multitude of providers not always accustomed to working together. Key to the cohesiveness of the team is the opportunity work together in addition to shared knowledge regarding the basic concepts of both ECMO and transport medicine. ECMO Transport simulation can be a tool for developing the necessary framework, team building, and learning required for a successful ECMO transport program.