The effectiveness of a disaster training programme for healthcare workers in Greece.
BISTARAKI A., WADDINGTON K. & GALANIS P. (2011) The effectiveness of a disaster training programme for healthcare workers in Greece. International Nursing Review 58, 341-346 Background: Recent natural disasters have made disaster training a public priority. Multiple methods of disaster preparedness training have been established in hospitals worldwide. Nevertheless, researchers have not yet discovered the most effective method for training hospital personnel in the area of disaster preparedness. Aim: The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that a brief educational intervention would improve hospital staff knowledge about the hospital disaster plan and procedures. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used. The intervention group included 56 professionals and the comparison group included 35 professionals in Greece. The intervention group attended a 5-h course that addressed the basic principles of hospital disaster management. A structured questionnaire was used to estimate the participants' changes in knowledge. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, one-way ANOVA and chi-square test were used to analyse the data. Results: The intervention resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge. The mean score was significantly higher immediately after the intervention programme [86; standard error (SE): 2] than before (44.5; SE: 1.7) ( P < 0.001). The mean score 1 month later was significantly lower (77.2; SE: 2.3) than that immediately after the intervention programme ( P < 0.001), but significantly higher than the mean score before the intervention programme ( P < 0.001). Participants in the control group achieved a score of 40 (SE: 2.4), which was significantly lower than the scores of the intervention group after the course ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: The disaster training course had a great benefit for the participants. This study suggests that a brief educational intervention is beneficial, but more must be done.
Statistical analysis: normality checks, 1-way ANOVA, t-tests,..
Qualitative approach – survey, quasi-experimental design
A structured questionnaire was used. It included an introductorystatement, eight demographic questions and 19 multiple-choiceknowledge questions, which had only one correct answer.
Source population: 224 healthcare workers in a public hospital [mix of senior and junior staff]. Final study population: 56 participants -- Power and sample size calculations showed that 46 elements were required in order to have a 90% chance of detecting as significant (at the 5% level) an absolute increase in score equal to 7%.The comparison group that was used in order to compare their results with the intervention group results included 35 individuals who did not take part in the and were willing to complete the questionnaire.
Study objectives:create and implement a disaster courseimprove basic knowledge of the hospital disaster plan among the different professionals of healthcare personnel (physicians, nurses, and administrative and paramedical staff)measure the efficacy of the training and assess personal disaster preparedness after its implementationevaluate the usefulness of the interventiontest the hypothesis that a brief educational intervention would improve hospital staff knowledge about the hospital disaster plan and procedures.
The opportunistic selection process that was used in order to include individualsin the comparison group was open to selection bias.Relatively small number of participants in the resulted in reduced power in the subgroup analysis.External validity of the study was poor because the training course that was developed cannot be used by hospitals worldwide without being adjusted first.
The disaster training course had a great benefit for the participants. This study suggests that a brief educational intervention is beneficial, but more must be done.The intervention resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge. The mean score was significantly higher immediately after the intervention programme.Participants in the control group achieved a score of 40 (SE: 2.4), which was significantly lower than the scores of the intervention group after the course (P < 0.001).
The hospital’s institutional review board provided its approval for the study.Nobody who was approached refused to give consent or to participate in the study.
Survey purpose was to assess basic knowledge of the hospital disaster plan and its procedures. All the three questionnaires (pre-test, immediate post-test, follow-up test) included the same questions with a different order each time.
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