Comparing online and onsite simulation modules for improving knowledge and confidence in disaster preparedness among undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: Disaster preparedness is one of the critical strategies for effectively managing disasters and has been an area of high focus in the healthcare sector over the past few decades. The current Indian medical undergraduate curriculum does not describe any novel methods for disaster preparedness training. There is a need for a better understanding of novel teaching-learning methods and modes for administering disaster preparedness training among Indian medical students. OBJECTIVES: Describe the undergraduate medical students' baseline knowledge and confidence level of disaster preparedness. Compare undergraduate medical students' knowledge scores and confidence levels on disaster preparedness after online and onsite delivery of the disaster preparedness module. METHODS: In this educational interventional study, 103 medical students were divided into two groups and subjected to an online or onsite session of the validated disaster preparedness module (based on the COVID-19 pandemic), encompassing a simulation-based tabletop exercise. Baseline testing was done for 52 participants in the online group and 51 in the onsite group of the study. Post-intervention, they were assessed with single-response type MCQs for knowledge and Likert scale-based questions for confidence scores. The pretest and posttest scores were collected, and the data were analysed using two-tailed t-tests for paired analysis of within-group (online group or onsite group) and heteroscedastic analysis of between-group datasets. RESULTS: One hundred and three participants completed the exercise-52 participants were from the online group, and 51 were from the onsite group. After the intervention, there was a statistically significant increase in knowledge and confidence in both online and onsite groups. There is, however, no significant difference in the 'percentage change' in 'knowledge' or 'confidence' between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the disaster preparedness module, delivered online and onsite, improves knowledge and confidence among undergraduate medical students. However, there is no superiority between one mode of delivery and the other. We conclude that online training can facilitate disaster preparedness training as a corollary to the prescribed traditional training methods for undergraduate medical students in India.

Strengthening emergency care by developing data collection systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Emergency care surveillance as well as registries of emergency care are largely absent in most LMICs. Improper data systems in Emergency Department create an important gap in our understanding about the health of large portions of the population. Clinical data systems in LMICs and lower-resource settings will foster research and generation of contextualized evidence.

Hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for schoolchildren: A comparison study among different class groups.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Up to 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are witnessed by family members, friends, and other bystanders. These bystanders can play a vital role in delivering help, before professional help arrives. Mandatory nationwide training of schoolchildren has shown the highest impact in improving the bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rate. In our study, we compared the competency of different classes of schoolchildren from middle school onward in learning hands-only CPR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in four schools. Schoolchildren were divided into three groups as middle school (6th to 8th standard) (MS), secondary school (9th and 10th standard) (SC), and senior secondary school (11th and 12th standard) (SN). Training module consisted of slide presentation on "hands-only CPR" of 1 h, video demonstration of 30 min, and hands-on session of 2.5 h. Students were then individually assessed for the skills. RESULTS: A total of 810 children were enrolled and trained. Initial approach was performed correctly by 68% of MS, 79.3% of SC, and 82.4% of SN school children, whereas 49.4% of MS, 61.3% of SC, and 72.5% of SN correctly performed chest compression in terms of rate, depth, and duration. Median compression depth and maximum duration of CPR achieved were significantly different across class groups (P < 0.001) Compression depth and duration of chest compression were positively correlated with children's age, height, weight, and body mass index (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Theoretical training on hands-only CPR can be started at the middle school level, and practical training can be incorporated in school curricula from secondary school.