Changes in Surgical Volume and Outcomes During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist concerning how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected surgical care in low-resource settings. We sought to describe associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and surgical care and outcomes at 2 tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study analyzing perioperative data collected electronically from Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (ACSH) in Mekelle, Ethiopia, and Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital (TGSH) in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. We categorized COVID-19 exposure as time periods: "phase 0" before the pandemic (November 1-December 31, 2019, at ACSH and August 1-September 30, 2019, at TGSH), "phase 1" starting when elective surgeries were canceled (April 1-August 3, 2020, at ACSH and March 28-April 12, 2020, at TGSH), and "phase 2" starting when elective surgeries resumed (August 4-August 31, 2020, at ACSH and April 13-August 31, 2020, at TGSH). Outcomes included 28-day perioperative mortality, case volume, and patient district of origin. Incidence rates of case volume and patient district of origin (outside district yes or no) were modeled with segmented Poisson regression and logistic regression, respectively. Association of the exposure with 28-day mortality was assessed using logistic regression models, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: Data from 3231 surgeries were captured. There was a decrease in case volume compared to phase 0, with adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.81) in phase 1 and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.83-0.97) in phase 2. Compared to phase 0, there were more patients from an outside district during phase 1 lockdown at ACSH (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.63 [95% CI, 1.24-2.15]) and fewer patients from outside districts at TGSH (aOR, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.21-0.87]). The observed 28-day mortality rates for phases 0, 1, and 2 were 1.8% (95% CI, 1.1-2.8), 3.7% (95% CI, 2.3-5.8), and 2.9% (95% CI, 2.1-3.9), respectively. A confounder-adjusted logistic regression model did not show a significant increase in 28-day perioperative mortality during phases 1 and 2 compared to phase 0, with aOR 1.36 (95% CI, 0.62-2.98) and 1.54 (95% CI, 0.80-2.95), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis at 2 low-resource referral hospitals in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in surgical case volume during and after lockdown. At ACSH, more patients were from outside districts during lockdown where the opposite was true at TGSH. These findings suggest that during the pandemic patients may experience delays in seeking or obtaining surgical care. However, for patients who underwent surgery, prepandemic and postpandemic perioperative mortalities did not show significant difference. These results may inform surgical plans during future public health crises.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice in an Online Faculty Development Course for Anesthesia Educators in East Africa.

INTRODUCTION: Faculty in low-resourced communities often have limited training on teaching and learning. An innovative, online, 13-week course using a flipped classroom model was developed for junior faculty anesthesiologists at teaching hospitals in East Africa and piloted in Ethiopia and Tanzania. METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to evaluate potential change in participants' knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as the feasibility of e-learning in the region. RESULTS: Analysis of data revealed that top areas of change in participants' knowledge were in the flipped classroom approach (increased by 79%), effective mentoring practices (67%), and elements of effective course goals and objectives (58%). Leading areas of change in skills were in developing goals and objectives (72%), using case-based learning (67%), and engaging learners through PowerPoint (64%). Change in attitudes was largest in the areas of effective mentoring and strong leadership (27%), using course and lecture learning objectives (26%), and student-centered learning theory (26%). Qualitative data revealed that participants were satisfied with the course; found the structure, presentations, and delivery methods to be effective; and appreciated the flexibility of being online but experienced challenges, particularly in connectivity. DISCUSSION: This evaluation demonstrated the efficacy of using e-learning in East Africa and highlights the innovation of online faculty development in a region where it has not been done before. By using participants as future instructors, this course is scalable in the region and worldwide, and it can help address limited access to training by providing a critical mass of trainers competent in teaching, mentoring, and leading.

The impact of the Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Obstetric Anaesthesia training course in Ethiopia: A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study.

SummaryReducing maternal mortality remains a global priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Obstetric Anaesthesia (OB) course is a three-day refresher course for trained anaesthesia providers addressing common causes of maternal mortality in LMICs. This aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SAFE training for a cohort of anaesthesia providers in Ethiopia.We conducted a mixed methods longitudinal cohort study incorporating a behavioural questionnaire, multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs), structured observational skills tests and structured interviews for anaesthesia providers who attended one of four SAFE-OB courses conducted in two regions of Ethiopia from October 2017 to May 2018.Some 149 participants from 60 facilities attended training. Behavioural questionnaires were completed at baseline (n = 101, 69% response rate). Pre- and post-course MCQs (n = 121, n = 123 respectively) and pre- and post-course skills tests (n = 123, n = 105 respectively) were completed, with repeat MCQ and skills tests, and semi-structured interviews completed at follow-up (n = 88, n = 76, n = 49 respectively). The mean MCQ scores for all participants improved from 80.3% prior to training to 85.4% following training (P < 0.0001) and skills test scores improved from 56.5% to 83.2% (P < 0.0001). Improvements in MCQs and skills were maintained at follow-up 3-11 months post-training compared to baseline (P = 0.0006, < 0.0001 respectively). Participants reported improved confidence, teamwork and communication at follow-up.This study suggests that the SAFE-OB course can have a sustained impact on knowledge and skills and can improve the confidence of anaesthesia providers and communication within surgical teams.