What Core Competency Training Skills Improve Mass Gathering Medical Staff Preparedness? An International Delphi Study...

Mass Gathering Medicine focuses on mitigating issues at Mass Gathering Events. Medical skills can vary substantially among staff, and the literature provides no specific guidance on staff training. This study highlights expert opinions on minimum training for medical staff to formalize preparation for a mass gathering.

This is a 3-round Delphi study. Experts were enlisted at Mass Gathering conferences, and researchers emailed participation requests through Stat59 software. Consent was obtained verbally and on Stat59 software. All responses were anonymous. Experts generated opinions. The second and third rounds used a 7-point linear ranking scale. Statements reached a consensus if the responses had a standard deviation (SD) of less than or equal to 1.0.

Round 1 generated 137 open-ended statements. Seventy-three statements proceeded to round 2. 28.7% (21/73) found consensus. In round 3, 40.3% of the remaining statements reached consensus (21/52). Priority themes included venue-specific information, staff orientation to operations and capabilities, and community coordination. Mass casualty preparation and triage were also highlighted as a critical focus.

This expert consensus framework emphasizes core training areas, including venue-specific operations, mass casualty response, triage, and life-saving skills. The heterogeneity of Mass Gatherings makes instituting universal standards challenging. The conclusions highlight recurrent themes of priority among multiple experts.