Adapting Helping Babies Breathe into a Virtual Curriculum: Methods, Results, and Lessons Learned

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neonatal Resuscitation
• Global Health Interventions

Background:

• The Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) curriculum is crucial for reducing neonatal mortality.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional in-person HBB training, necessitating alternative delivery methods.
• Disruptions to HBB training may lead to deficits in essential neonatal resuscitation skills dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of in-person versus virtual HBB training.
• To assess changes in self-efficacy related to HBB critical elements.
• To evaluate virtual HBB training as a viable alternative to in-person sessions.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving US-based pediatric and family medicine residents.
• 14 learners participated: 6 in-person and 8 virtually via Zoom.
• Self-efficacy was measured using a pre- and post-training survey; difference-in-difference analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• Both in-person and virtual HBB training improved learner self-efficacy across preparedness, assessment, and skills.
• No statistically significant differences in self-efficacy improvement were observed between the two groups.
• All participants successfully passed the post-training knowledge assessment.

Conclusions:

• Virtual HBB training is a feasible and effective alternative to in-person instruction, especially with resource and travel constraints.
• Further research should investigate skill acquisition and long-term retention in virtual HBB learners.
• This approach supports continued HBB curriculum dissemination despite global challenges.