New methods of seafarer's training: an internet "refresher course on first-aid and medical care on board"

Our objective is to facilitate seamen's health education, according to the recommendations of international organisations like IMO (STCW 1995) and EC (Directive 92/29): They recommend a refresher course on first-aid at least every 5 years for persons in charge of medical care on board. In Spain the transposition of this Directive was published (RD 258/99). So, we thought that in order to help seafarers and officers in their training in prevention and in solving health problems derived from their occupational risks on board, continuing education could be implemented using an innovative and adaptable tool. No first-aid course can be useful without practical exercises. The term "refresher" (in this paper) is a way of reminding what people have learnt and practised in a previous practical course. In 1998, the Spanish Society of Maritime Medicine promoted a pilot internet refresher course for seafarers in its web, URL: "http://www.semm.org/curso/pauxm.html++ +". There are 10 didactic units (resources for medical assistance on board, radio-medical advice, environmental problems, travel medicine, cardio-respiratory resuscitation, prevention of problems in diving, death on board, occupational risk prevention ... etc.). Hypertext linked keywords help the student to revise the subject, a teacher can counsel him by e-mail and a multiple choice test, and clinical cases are included to check the comprehension of the didactic units. A CD and an English version of the course is being prepared.