Hemorrhage-Control Training in Medical Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Hemorrhage control is a critical skill for healthcare professionals.
• Current medical school curricula may not adequately address hemorrhage control training.
• The Stop The Bleed (STB) program offers a standardized approach to hemorrhage control education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of integrating STB training into a formal medical school curriculum.
• To determine if STB training enhances medical students' confidence and comfort in managing major hemorrhage.
• To evaluate students' perceptions of the value of hemorrhage control training for their future careers.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study was conducted with 96 third-year medical students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
• Hemorrhage control education was incorporated into the surgery clerkship using the STB program.
• Pre- and post-training surveys were administered to measure changes in comfort and confidence levels, with a post-training knowledge quiz.

Main Results:

• STB training led to a statistically significant increase in students' comfort and confidence with all hemorrhage-control techniques.
• A significant improvement was observed in students' perception of the importance of this training for physicians and allied health professionals.
• The 2-hour STB course effectively increased students' ability to manage major traumatic bleeding.

Conclusions:

• Integrating a 2-hour Stop The Bleed course into the medical school curriculum is an effective method for improving students' hemorrhage control skills.
• Medical students perceive STB training as a valuable and beneficial addition to their undergraduate education.
• Hemorrhage control training, such as the STB program, should be considered a standard component of undergraduate medical education.