Training needs among maritime professionals: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Maritime medical practice includes assessment of fitness, management of medical emergencies and healthcare on board and ashore. A better response to seagoing professionals' health requirements can be achieved when all the respective stakeholders have a common understanding. Training is a powerful tool to raise awareness and in particular continuing professional development is very significant in sustaining competencies of these professionals. The objective of the study was to identify maritime professionals' perceived training needs.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among maritime professionals participated in the 14th International Symposium on Maritime Health. Fifty responses with the response rate of 42.7% were received with medical doctors representing 78% of the sample. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic characteristics of the data needs using STATA 15.1.

Results: Among the 23 themes, the ranking of perceived training needs was highest for fitness evaluation and examination guidelines and working conditions (both with the same percentage 86%), onboard medicine 82%, rules and regulations and health and safety at work (with the same percentage 80%). The lowest was on gender issues 32%.

Conclusions: The finding suggests the planning and effective implementation of further training for the maritime health professionals in a variety of topics including financing and management issues. Highest importance of training was expressed by those over 40 years and by medical doctors with more than 10 years of practice. These findings could usefully be combined with a qualitative study to gain in-depth results and may help the respective authorities to organise relevant training.

Keywords: health professionals; maritime sector; perceived training needs; symposium on maritime health.