Needs Assessment for Simulation Training for Prehospital Providers in Botswana

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Botswana established a national Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system in 2012 to address prehospital emergencies.
• External expertise was sought to train the developing EMS workforce using simulation-based methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the educational needs of Botswana's pioneer EMS providers.
• To inform the development of a novel, locally relevant educational curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 1,506 EMS response logs from Gaborone (2013-2014).
• Quantification of the five most common adult and pediatric call types.
• Informal focus groups and surveys to rank common calls and identify self-perceived educational needs.

Main Results:

• Most common adult calls: obstetric emergencies, altered mental status, gastrointestinal/abdominal pain, trauma, gynecological emergencies, cardiovascular/respiratory distress.
• Most common pediatric calls: respiratory distress, gastrointestinal complaints/dehydration, trauma, newborn delivery, seizures, toxic ingestion/exposure.
• EMS providers confirmed these chief complaints as training priorities.

Conclusions:

• Trauma, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal, and perinatal emergencies were prevalent across all age groups.
• Age-specific conditions also highlighted educational gaps based on data and provider feedback.
• Findings can inform EMS curriculum design in low- and middle-income countries.