Course in Prehospital Major Incidents Management for Health Care Providers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

IntroductionUnacceptable practices of health care providers during disasters have been observed because they work outside the scope of their daily practices and have inadequate training. A greater need for the involvement of health professionals in disaster management has been noted in Saudi Arabia. This study evaluates the efficacy of a training course in prehospital major incident management for health care providers in Saudi Arabia.MethodsAn interactive course for general principles in prehospital major incident management was developed with domains and core competencies. The course was designed according to the local context and was based on international standards. It was piloted over four days at the Officers Club of the Ministry of Interior (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) and was sponsored by Mohammed Bin Naif Medical Center, King Fahd Security College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants (n=29) were from different disciplines from main government health facilities in Riyadh. They completed a pre-test and a post-test.ResultsThe overall score was 55.1% on the pre-test and 68.4% on the post-test (Wilcoxon test for paired samples, P <.05). Three out of the four domains had significant difference between pre- and post-test results, as well as the overall total knowledge.Conclusion:Conducting inter-disciplinary and competency-based disaster medicine courses for health care providers can augment appropriate disaster preparedness for major incidents in Saudi Arabia.BajowNA,AlAssafWI,CluntunAA.Course in prehospital major incidents management for health care providers in Saudi Arabia.Prehosp Disaster Med.2018;33(6):587–595.

Protecting the psychological well‐being of healthcare workers affected by the COVID‐19 outbreak: Perspectives from China

“…Preventative interdisciplinary and competency‐based disaster training programs for healthcare workers can be effective in improving readiness and mitigating the negative impacts of major incidents (Bajow et al, 2018). Stress or trauma experienced by healthcare workers during the disaster can affect cognitive and technical performance, as well as trigger more preexisting mental health disorders.…”

A Basic Course in Humanitarian Health Emergency and Relief: A Pilot Study from Saudi Arabia

“…A comprehensive literature review was done to highlight the need for competency-based education in disaster health. 11,12 There were no published reports evaluating a specific course for Complex Humanitarian Emergencies and Disaster Relief in Saudi Arabia. However, there were existing international education frameworks, with categorization of competencies set for each education level in humanitarian emergencies.…”

“…5,20,25 Lectures, case study group discussions, mock simulation sessions, and table-top exercises were used to maximize the knowledge transfer and satisfaction of the trainees. 12,26 The participants performed three mock simulation sessions to demonstrate public health education and promotion of the affected community through integration of three different and realistic scenarios. Realistic scenarios can be an effective method for performance-level learning that requires learners to experience how specific disasters might progress over time.…”

“…Therefore, there is more than one method that can be used for assessment of disaster health training programs. 12 Short-term validation of the course was based on performance of the participants in post-tests and creating assignments that can directly measure the outcomes, as in a community awareness pilot session, which is considered a fundamental element for the basic level in the humanitarian emergency course. The participants design projects related to their own interests or behavior and presented it to the instructor committee.…”

“…Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these major incident training programs in Saudi Arabia for health care providers, including emergency physicians. [11][12][13] To the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no published reports evaluating and assessing post-graduate training programs in humanitarian health emergency in Saudi Arabia. With the current unstable political situation surrounding the neighboring countries of Saudi Arabia and its effective role in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to those affected by internal conflicts and wars, it was essential to develop a framework for training standards related to complex humanitarian disasters.…”