Evaluation of a new community-based curriculum in disaster medicine for undergraduates

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, many medical schools include training in disaster medicine in undergraduate studies. This study evaluated the efficacy of a disaster medicine curriculum recently designed for Saudi Arabian medical students. METHODS: Participants were 15 male and 14 female students in their fourth, fifth or sixth year at Jazan University Medical School, Saudi Arabia. The course was held at the Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Sciences Applied to the Medical Practice in Novara, Italy. RESULTS: The overall mean score on a test given before the course was 41.0 % and it increased to 67.7 % on the post-test (Wilcoxon test for paired samples: z = 4.71, p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between the mean scores of males and females, or between students in their fourth, fifth or sixth year of medical school. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that this curriculum is effective for teaching disaster medicine to undergraduate medical students. Adoption of this course would help to increase the human resources available for dealing with disaster situations

Simulation Training in Surge Capacity Management Using the Disastermed.Ca Emergency Department Simulator

Introduction: Surge capacity has become an increasingly important issue in emergency and disaster medicine, however, standardized methods of teaching surge capacity have not yet been developed. The use of the disastermed.ca emergency department simulator may be an effective tool for teaching the management of surge capacity. Methods: Students of the eighth edition of the European Master in Disaster Medicine were assigned randomly into two equal-sized groups. Each of the two groups performed the simulation simultaneously, with two identical hospital layouts from the disastermed.ca simulator. Students were encouraged to look for innovative solutions to surge capacity. Results: Twenty-eight participants participated in the exercise. Both groups developed similar approaches to increasing surge capacity including activating the hospital\u2019s disaster plan, developing an Incident Command System organizational structure, requesting additional staff, and requesting additional inpatient beds. There was a significant difference in mean time from patient arrival to triage between the two groups (p <0.01), however, accuracy of triage was similar. All of the respondents felt the simulation was a valuable learning experience. All respondents stated that they would prefer a simulation-based curriculum to a purely lecture-based curriculum. The median rating when asked to rate the exercise overall was 8/10 (range = 5\u201310). When asked to rate how effectively the exercise simulated the emergency department and emergency response activities, median rating was 7/10 (range = 4\u201310).When asked to rate how well the scenario adequately tested the readiness and capability to implement the disaster plan, mean rating was 7/10 (range = 4\u201310). Conclusions: Participant satisfaction following computerized simulation in surge capacity training was high. All respondents felt that the exercise was a valuable learning experience, and all stated that they preferred the combination of simulation and lecture to a pure ly lecture-based curriculum

Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Training on the disastermed ca Emergency Department Simulator in Addition to Problem-Based Learning for Medical Student Training in Disaster Medicine

Introduction: Disaster medicine is an increasingly important part of medicine. Training in the practical aspects of disaster medicine often is impossible, and simulation may offer an educational opportunity superior to traditional didactic methods. Methods: Twenty-two medical students at the Universit\ue0 degli studi del Piemonte Orientale were block-randomized into two groups of 11 students stratified by year of education. All participants received an eight-hour course of lectures and problem-based learning in disaster medicine. The intervention group received additional disaster medicine training on the disastermed.ca patient simulator, while the control group spent equal time on the simulator in a nondisaster setting. The ability of the two groups to manage a simulated disaster was compared. Results: Students in the intervention group were able to triage their patients more quickly than the control group (mean difference = 43 seconds, 95% CI 0.34\u20131.09 minutes, p < 0.0003). Patients in the intervention group also were assessed more quick ly (mean difference = 6.3 minutes, 95% CI = 0.4\u201312.1 minutes, p < 0.04).Scores of performance indicators on a standardized scale was significant lyhigher in the intervention group (18/18) com p a red to the control group ( 8/ 18; p < 0.0004). A ll students stated that they preferred the simulation-based curriculum to a lecture-based curriculum. When asked to rate the exercise overall , the median score was 8 on a 10-point modified Likert scale with no difference between the control and intervention groups. Conclusions: Simulation of a mass-casualty incident increased the speed at which medical students were able to triage and assess simulated patients. Exposure to the disaster simulation also increased the scores on a structured command-and-control performance indicator instrument. Overall student satisfaction with the simulation-based curriculum was high, and all students felt that the simulation was a valuable learning experience

Disaster medicine curricula in Saudi Arabian medical schools

Background:Disaster medicine training in medical school is a key element of disaster preparedness, and several international educational authorities have called for an increase in this specific type of training. The objective of this study was to assess the current state of disaster medicine education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Methods:All 30 medical schools in Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in the study, and a 25-item online survey was sent to those that consented.Results:The response rate was 67%. Only three of the responding 20 universities currently have disaster medicine programs, and they spend an average of three hours per year on the subject. Respondents without disaster medicine curricula indicated that a mandatory, accredited course in the final three years of the six-year program was their preferred method for implementation, and most favored a blended approach.Conclusions:The study found that there is a paucity of disaster medicine programs in Saudi Arabia. Most schools indicated a willingness to implement such training in their undergraduate programs but cited lack of an adequate number of relevant professionals as a major impediment