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Advanced trauma life support (ATLS) courses: should training be refocused towards rural physicians?
R Ben-Abraham1, M Stein, J Shemer
1Israel Defense Forces, Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Summary
Paediatricians in rural trauma centers showed greater knowledge gains from Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) training than those in metropolitan areas. This highlights the need to prioritize ATLS course access for rural physicians.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Trauma Care
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Increasing demand for emergency medical training courses for healthcare professionals.
- Limited training resources necessitate efficient allocation for optimal impact.
- Need to assess training effectiveness across different practice settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the knowledge improvement from the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) program for pediatricians in metropolitan versus rural settings.
- To inform resource allocation for physician training in trauma care.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective comparative analysis of ATLS course impact on Israeli pediatricians (n=72) in 1996.
- Assessment via pre- and post-course multiple-choice test scores.
- Comparison between pediatricians in Level I (metropolitan) and Level II (rural) trauma centers.
Main Results:
- All pediatricians demonstrated improved scores post-ATLS training.
- Pediatricians in rural Level II trauma centers showed higher net and proportional knowledge gains compared to metropolitan Level I centers.
- The net gain in knowledge was significantly higher for rural pediatricians (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Rural pediatricians benefit significantly from ATLS training, with greater knowledge acquisition.
- Increased participation of rural pediatricians in ATLS courses is recommended.
- Further research should explore ATLS applicability for primary care physicians.