Disaster health education framework for short and intermediate training in Saudi Arabia: A scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundSaudi Arabia has made extensive efforts to manage disasters using unique national approaches; however, challenges and obstacles concerning disaster health handling persist. The nation has a reactive strategy to disaster management with a need for increased involvement of health professionals in disaster management and improvement of healthcare facilities emergency preparedness including competency-based education training.ObjectiveA comprehensive and consistent approach of disaster education programs for short and intermediate training of health professionals involved in disaster responses in Saudi Arabia is still not evident. Therefore, it is vital to explore and map the current state of the disaster education framework in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThe Joanna Briggs Institute approach for scoping reviews was used to assess research articles and preprints between January 2000 and September 2021 from Saudi Digital Library; PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. Five experts identified key aspects of the disaster education approach and eligibility criteria to facilitate identification of relevant articles.ResultsOnly five articles met the specified criteria and described two short and three intermediate courses on disaster health management in Saudi Arabia. All courses involved competency-specific training aimed at basic or foundational level and involved a range of activities and learning types. None had refresher courses within 12 months.ConclusionThe review highlights the obvious scarcity of short and intermediate term evidence-based disaster health programs in Saudi Arabia. Adoption of the education framework proposed by the authors based on international frameworks could improve the quality and consistency of the disaster education curriculum in Saudi Arabia.

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“…This initiative is reminiscent of the efforts made by the United States' Healthcare Ready program, which strives to strengthen its healthcare supply chains through collaboration with public health and private sectors [91]. Emulating such collaborative approaches could help Saudi Arabia to further enhance the disaster readiness of its health sector [92][93][94][95][96][97].…”

Enhancing Disaster Triage Competencies through Simulation-Based Training: An Interventional Study among Undergraduate Nursing Students

“…This can be achieved by providing supplementary training, education, resources, and mentorship, helping students develop the necessary knowledge and skills, and ensuring they are well-prepared for their careers in hospitals [55,56]. Comprehensive education and training should balance theoretical and practical aspects, emphasizing vital skills such as communication and decision-making [17,57,58]. An overall improvement in test scores suggests the effectiveness of training, but varied individual performances and a slight mean score decrease in certain categories underscore the need for differentiated instruction or additional support, hinting at potential training inadequacies or the complexity of some concepts.…”

Enhancing Disaster Triage Competencies through Simulation-Based Training: An Interventional Study among Undergraduate Nursing Students

“…This can be achieved by providing supplementary training, education, resources, and mentorship, helping students develop the necessary knowledge and skills, and ensuring they are well-prepared for their careers in hospitals [55,56]. Comprehensive education and training should balance theoretical and practical aspects, emphasizing vital skills such as communication and decision-making [17,57,58]. An overall improvement in test scores suggests the effectiveness of training, but varied individual performances and a slight mean score decrease in certain categories underscore the need for differentiated instruction or additional support, hinting at potential training inadequacies or the complexity of some concepts.…”