Confidence and knowledge in emergency management among medical students across Colombia: A role for the WHO basic emergency care course

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Katelyn Moretti, Brown University; Adam R Aluisio, Brown University; Benjamin G Marin, Brown University; Chuan-Jay Jeffrey Chen, Massachusetts General Hospital; Catalina González Marques, Brown University; Francesca L Beaudoin, Brown University; Melissa Clark, Brown School of Public Health; Andres Patino, Emory University; Heidy Carranza, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Andres Duarte, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Atilio Moreno, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Leonar G Aguiar, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Christian Arbelaez, Brown University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-01-21
• Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Moretti et al
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262282
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLOS ONE
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: e0262282
• End Page: e0262282
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was funded, in part, through the Brown Emergency Medicine Innovation’s grant through Brown Emergency Physicians, Inc. (KM). The funders did not play a role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Keywords: Science & Technology - Other Topics; Science & Technology; Multidisciplinary Sciences
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Introduction Globally, medical students have demonstrated knowledge gaps in emergency care and acute stabilization. In Colombia, new graduates provide care for vulnerable populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course trains frontline providers with limited resources in the management of acute illness and injury. While this course may serve medical students as adjunct to current curriculum, its utility in this learner group has not been investigated. This study performs a baseline assessment of knowledge and confidence in emergency management taught in the BEC amongst medical students in Colombia. Methods A validated, cross-sectional survey assessing knowledge and confidence of emergency care congruent with BEC content was electronically administered to graduating medical students across Colombia. Knowledge was evaluated via 15 multiple choice questions and confidence via 13 questions using 100 mm visual analog scales. Mean knowledge and confidence scores were compared across demographics, geography and prior training using Chi-Squared or one-way ANOVA analyses. Results Data were gathered from 468 graduating medical students at 36 institutions. The mean knowledge score was 59.9% ± 23% (95% CI 57.8-62.0%); the mean confidence score was 59.6 mm ±16.7 mm (95% CI 58.1-61.2). Increasing knowledge and confidence scores were associated with prior completion of emergency management training courses (p<0.0001). Conclusion Knowledge and confidence levels of emergency care management for graduating medical students across Colombia demonstrated room for additional, specialized training. Higher scores were seen in groups that had completed emergency care courses. Implementation of the BEC as an adjunct to current curriculum may serve a valuable addition.