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Pediatric Online Disaster Preparedness Training for Medical and Non-Medical Personnel: A Multi-Level Modeling Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2018

Phung K. Pham ,
Solomon M. Behar ,
Bridget M. Berg ,
Jeffrey S. Upperman  and
Alan L. Nager
Phung K. Pham*
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University; Claremont, California USA
Solomon M. Behar
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California USA Emergency Department, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Long Beach, California USA
Bridget M. Berg
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Pediatric Disaster Resource and Training Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA
Jeffrey S. Upperman
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Pediatric Disaster Resource and Training Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California USA
Alan L. Nager
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California USA Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California USA
*
Correspondence: Phung K. Pham, MS, MA Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 4650 Sunset Blvd., Mail Stop 113 Los Angeles, California 90027 USA E-mail: ppham@chla.usc.edu
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Abstract

Introduction

Terrorism and natural catastrophes have made disaster preparedness a critical issue. Despite the documented vulnerabilities of children during and following disasters, gaps remain in health care systems regarding pediatric disaster preparedness. This research study examined changes in knowledge acquisition of pediatric disaster preparedness among medical and non-medical personnel at a children’s hospital who completed an online training course of five modules: planning, triage, age-specific care, disaster management, and hospital emergency code response.

Methods

A multi-disciplinary team within the Pediatric Disaster Resource and Training Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California USA) developed an online training course. Available archival course data from July 2009 to August 2012 were analyzed through linear growth curve multi-level modeling, with module total score as the outcome (0 to 100 points), attempt as the Level 1 variable (any module could be repeated), role in the hospital (medical or non-medical) as the Level 2 variable, and attempt by role as the cross-level effect.

Results

A total of 44,115 module attempts by 5,773 course participants (3,686 medical personnel and 2,087 non-medical personnel) were analyzed. The average module total score upon first attempt across all participants ranged from 60.28 to 80.11 points, and participants significantly varied in how they initially scored. On average in the planning, triage, and age-specific care modules: total scores significantly increased per attempt across all participants (average rate of change ranged from 0.59 to 1.84 points) and medical personnel had higher total scores initially and through additional attempts (average difference ranged from 13.25 to 16.24 points). Cross-level effects were significant in the disaster management and hospital emergency code response modules: on average, total scores were initially lower among non-medical personnel compared to medical personnel, but non-medical personnel increased their total scores per attempt by 3.77 points in the disaster management module and 6.40 points in the hospital emergency code response module, while medical personnel did not improve their total scores through additional attempts.

Conclusion:

Medical and non-medical hospital personnel alike can acquire knowledge of pediatric disaster preparedness. Key content can be reinforced or improved through successive training in an online course.

PhamPK, BeharSM, BergBM, UppermanJS, NagerAL. Pediatric Online Disaster Preparedness Training for Medical and Non-Medical Personnel: A Multi-Level Modeling AnalysisPrehosp Disaster Med.2018;33(4):349–354.

Keywords

growth curve analysismedical personnelmulti-level modelingnon-medical personnelpediatric disaster preparedness
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , August 2018 , pp. 349 - 354
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2018 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest/funding: This research study was part of a larger project funded by Grant Number 1 HFPEP070014-01-00 from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS; Washington, DC USA). The views expressed in this research study do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the US DHHS, nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. This research study was presented as an oral presentation at the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM; Madison, Wisconsin USA) Congress on April 25, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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