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Preparing for the Surge: A Half-Day Emergency Preparedness Training Course for the "Second Front".
Lancer A Scott1, Layne A Madden2, Amy E Wahlquist3
11Associate Professor, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina,and Chief of Emergency Medicine at Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Medical Center, Charleston,South Carolina.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
|March 23, 2018
Summary
A brief emergency preparedness training (EPT) significantly improved clinical providers' disaster knowledge and skills. The 5-hour course enhanced confidence and performance in managing mass-casualty events.
Area of Science:
- Disaster medicine
- Medical education
- Public health preparedness
Background:
- Clinical disaster medicine necessitates collaborative care for multiple patients.
- Many healthcare providers lack formal competency-based disaster training.
- Effective training is crucial for improving response to mass-casualty incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a short emergency preparedness training (EPT) course.
- To assess improvements in clinical provider knowledge, confidence, and skills.
- To determine the effectiveness of a 5-hour curriculum incorporating didactics and scenario-based learning.
Main Methods:
- A 5-hour emergency preparedness training (EPT) curriculum was implemented.
- Training included didactic lectures, small group exercises, and live mass-casualty scenarios.
- Assessments involved facilitator observation, pre- and posttesting, and course evaluations.
Main Results:
- Knowledge scores increased significantly, with average correct answers rising from 39% to 60%.
- Trainees met high percentages of performance objectives in small group (73-96%) and mass-casualty (68.5-61.1%) scenarios.
- Self-assessed disaster preparedness skills improved substantially, from 36 to 73 points out of 100.
Conclusions:
- A brief, intensive EPT course effectively enhances disaster knowledge and comfort levels.
- The training fosters practical disaster-performance skills among diverse clinical providers.
- Competency-based training is vital for improving clinical response in disaster medicine.