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. 2017 Aug 14;25(1):79.
doi: 10.1186/s13049-017-0426-5.

Subjective safety and self-confidence in prehospital trauma care and learning progress after trauma-courses: part of the prospective longitudinal mixed-methods EPPTC-trial

David Häske  1 , Stefan K Beckers  2   3 , Marzellus Hofmann  4 , Rolf Lefering  5 , Paul A Grützner  6 , Ulrich Stöckle  7 , Vassilios Papathanassiou  8 , Matthias Münzberg  9
Affiliations

Subjective safety and self-confidence in prehospital trauma care and learning progress after trauma-courses: part of the prospective longitudinal mixed-methods EPPTC-trial

David Häske et al. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Background: Prehospital trauma care is stressful and requires multi-professional teamwork. A decrease in the number of accident victims ultimately affects the routine and skills and underlines the importance of effective training. Standardized courses, like PHTLS, are established for health care professionals to improve the prehospital care of trauma patients. The aim of the study was to investigate the subjective safety in prehospital trauma care and learning progress by paramedics in a longitudinal analysis.

Methods: This was a prospective intervention trial and part of the mixed-method longitudinal EPPTC-trial, evaluating subjective and objective changes among participants and real patient care as a result of PHTLS courses. Participants were evaluated with pre/post questionnaires as well as one year after the course.

Results: We included 236 datasets. In the pre/post comparison, an increased performance could be observed in nearly all cases. The result shows that the expectations of the participants of the course were fully met even after one year (p = 0.002). The subjective safety in trauma care is significantly better even one year after the course (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that (ABCDE)-structure is decisive (p = 0.036) as well as safety in rare and common skills (both p < 0.001). Most skills are also rated better after one year. Knowledge and specific safety are assessed as worse after one year.

Conclusion: The courses meet the expectations of the participants and increase the subjective safety in the prehospital care of trauma patients. ABCDE-structure and safety in skills are crucial. In the short term, both safety in skills and knowledge can be increased, but the courses do not have the power to maintain knowledge and specific subjective safety issues over a year.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register, ID DRKS00004713 , registered 14. February 2014.

Keywords: Allied health personnel; Competence; Learning progress; Safety; Self-confidence; Skill; Structure; Trauma care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen and the University Hospital approved the study proposal, number 197/2013BO2, on May 24, 2013. The study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register with the ID DRKS00004713. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Consent for publication

Data collection, coding, routing and analysis were in accordance with data protection policy of Tübingen University. Participants gave written consent for analysis and publication, without showing individual personal data.

Competing interests

DH is PHTLS instructor. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The figure shows the summarized mean values according to the factors, as well as the single major issue “safety in treatment of traumatological emergencies”. The x-axis shows the three time points
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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