Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-20T00:47:17.441Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Self-Perception of Medical Students’ Knowledge and Interest in Disaster Medicine: Nine Years After the Approval of the Curriculum in German Universities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2017

Robert Wunderlich ,
Luca Ragazzoni ,
Pier Luigi Ingrassia ,
Francesco Della Corte ,
Jan Grundgeiger ,
Jens Werner Bickelmayer  and
Bernd Domres
Robert Wunderlich*
Affiliation:
University Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Tübingen, Germany
Luca Ragazzoni
Affiliation:
CRIMEDIM-Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
Pier Luigi Ingrassia
Affiliation:
CRIMEDIM-Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
Francesco Della Corte
Affiliation:
CRIMEDIM-Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
Jan Grundgeiger
Affiliation:
Foundation of the German Institute for Disaster Medicine, Tübingen, Germany
Jens Werner Bickelmayer
Affiliation:
German Military Hospital Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Berlin, Germany
Bernd Domres
Affiliation:
Foundation of the German Institute for Disaster Medicine, Tübingen, Germany
*
Correspondence: Robert Wunderlich, MD, MSc Rheinlandstr.20 D-72070 Tübingen, Germany E-mail: Robertwunderlich@gmx.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Following the recommendations of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM; Madison, Wisconsin USA) to develop standards for training the undergraduates in disaster-relevant fields (2004), a German curriculum was approved in 2006. This paper aims to describe the level of training and interest of medical students nine years later.

Problem

The aim of this study was to assess the self-perception of medical students’ knowledge and interest in disaster medicine nine years after the implementation of a standardized disaster medicine curriculum in German medical schools.

Methods

This prospective, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted with medical students in Germany using a web-based, purpose-designed questionnaire consisting of 27 mandatory and 11 optional questions.

Results

Nine hundred ninety-two students from 36 of 37 medical schools in Germany participated. More than one-half of medical students were aware of the field of disaster medicine. One hundred twenty-one students undertook training internally within their university and 307 undertook training externally at other institutions. Only a small content of the curriculum was taught. A difference in self-perception of knowledge between trained and untrained participants was found, despite the level of training being low in both groups. Participants were generally highly motivated to learn disaster medicine in a variety of institutions.

Conclusion

German students are still largely not well educated regarding disaster medicine, despite their high motivation. The curriculum of 2006 was not implemented as originally planned and the number of trained students still remains low as the self-perception of knowledge. Currently, there is no clear and standardized training concept in place. A renewal in the agreement of implementation of the curriculum at medical schools should be targeted in order to follow the recommendation of WADEM.

WunderlichRRagazzoniLIngrassiaPLDella CorteFGrundgeigerJBickelmayerJWDomresB. Self-Perception of Medical Students’ Knowledge and Interest in Disaster Medicine: Nine Years After the Approval of the Curriculum in German Universities. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):374–381.

Keywords

disaster medicineeducationGermanymedical studentsWADEM
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , August 2017 , pp. 374 - 381
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

References

1. Guha-Sapir, D, Hoyois, P, Below, R. Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2013: The Numbers and Trends. http://www.cred.de/sites/default/files/ADSR_2013.pdf. Accessed March 10, 2015.Google Scholar
2. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Disaster Impacts / 2000-2012. http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/disaster-statistics. Accessed March 13, 2015.Google Scholar
3. Archer, F, Seynaeve, G. International guidelines and standards for education and training to reduce the consequences of events that may threaten the health status of a community. A report of an Open International WADEM Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, October 29-31, 2004. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(2):120-130.Google Scholar
4. Ripoll Gallardo, A, Djalali, A, Foletti, M, et al. Core competencies in disaster management and humanitarian assistance: a systematic review. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2015;9(4):430-439.Google Scholar
5. Burkle, FM Jr., Lyznicki, JM, James, JJ. Cross-disciplinary competency and professionalization in disaster medicine and public health. Volume 100: Handbook for Pandemic and Mass-Casualty Planning and Response. 2012.Google Scholar
6. Coule, PL, Schwartz, RB. The national disaster life support programs: a model for competency-based standardized and locally relevant training. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2009;15(suppl 2):S25-S30.Google Scholar
7. Gebbie, K, Merrill, J. Public health worker competencies for emergency response. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2002;8(3):73-81.Google Scholar
8. Hsu, EB, Thomas, TL, Bass, EB, Whyne, D, Kelen, GD, Green, GB. Health care worker competencies for disaster training. BMC Med Educ. 2006;6:19.Google Scholar
9. Schultz, CH, Koenig, KL, Whiteside, M, Murray, R. Development of national standardized all-hazard disaster core competencies for acute care physicians, nurses, and EMS professionals. Ann Emerg Med. 2012;59(3):196-208; e191.Google Scholar
10. Markenson, D, DiMaggio, C, Redlener, I. Preparing health professions students for terrorism, disaster, and public health emergencies: core competencies. Acad Med. 2005;80(6):517-526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. James, JJ, Benjamin, GC, Burkle, FM Jr., Gebbie, KM, Kelen, G, Subbarao, I. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness: a discipline for all health professionals. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2010;4(2):102-107.Google ScholarPubMed
12. Walsh, L, Subbarao, I, Gebbie, K, et al. Core competencies for disaster medicine and public health. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2012;6(1):44-52.Google Scholar
13. Walsh, L, Altman, BA, King, RV, Strauss-Riggs, K. Enhancing the translation of disaster health competencies into practice. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(1):70-78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Burkle, FM Jr. The development of multidisciplinary core competencies: the first step in the professionalization of disaster medicine and public health preparedness on a global scale. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2012;6(1):10-12.Google Scholar
15. Reyes, H. Students’ response to disaster: a lesson for health care professional schools. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(10):658-660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Sabri, AA, Qayyum, MA. Why medical students should be trained in disaster management: our experience of the Kashmir earthquake. PLoS Med. 2006;3(9):e382.Google Scholar
17. Bundesministerium der Justiz [Federal Ministry of Justice]. Approbationsordnung für Ärzte. http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/_appro_2002/BJNR240500002.html. Accessed March 15, 2015.Google Scholar
18. Schutzkommission beim Bundesminister des Inneren [Ministry of the Interiour], DGKM, BBK. Konzept zur katastrophenmedizinischen Ausbildung im studentischen Unterricht an deutschen Hochschulen [Concept for the training of students at German medical schools]. http://www.stiftung-katastrophenmedizin.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ Curriculum_Katastrophenmedizin.pdf. Accessed April 3, 2015.Google Scholar
19. Pfenninger, EG, Domres, BD, Stahl, W, Bauer, A, Houser, CM, Himmelseher, S. Medical student disaster medicine education: the development of an educational resource. Int J Emerg Med. 2010;3(1):9-20.Google ScholarPubMed
20. Mortelmans, LJ, Bouman, SJ, Gaakeer, MI, Dieltiens, G, Anseeuw, K, Sabbe, MB. Dutch senior medical students and disaster medicine: a national survey. Int J Emerg Med. 2015;8(1):77.Google Scholar
21. Ingrassia, PL, Ragazzoni, L, Tengattini, M, Carenzo, L, Della Corte, F. Nationwide program of education for undergraduates in the field of disaster medicine: development of a core curriculum centered on blended learning and simulation tools. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):508-515.Google Scholar
22. Mortelmans, LJ, Dieltiens, G, Anseeuw, K, Sabbe, MB. Belgian senior medical students and disaster medicine, a real disaster? Eur J Emerg Med. 2014;21(1):77-78.Google ScholarPubMed
23. Smith, J, Levy, MJ, Hsu, EB, Lee Levy, J. Disaster curricula in medical education: pilot survey. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(5):492-494.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Su, T, Han, X, Chen, F, et al. Knowledge levels and training needs of disaster medicine among health professionals, medical students, and local residents in Shanghai, China. PLoS One. 2013;8(6):e67041.Google ScholarPubMed
25. Alexander, D. Towards the development of standards in emergency management training and education. Disaster Prev Manag: Internat J. 2003;12(2):113-123.Google Scholar
26. Kaiser, HE, Barnett, DJ, Hsu, EB, Kirsch, TD, James, JJ, Subbarao, I. Perspectives of future physicians on disaster medicine and public health preparedness: challenges of building a capable and sustainable auxiliary medical workforce. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(4):210-216.Google ScholarPubMed
27. Scott, LA, Carson, DS, Greenwell, IB. Disaster 101: a novel approach to disaster medicine training for health professionals. J Emerg Med. 2010;39(2):220-226.Google Scholar
28. Ragazzoni, L, Ingrassia, PL, Gugliotta, G, Tengattini, M, Franc, JM, Corte, FD. Italian medical students and disaster medicine: awareness and formative needs. Am J Disaster Med. 2013;8(2):127-136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. Stang, A, Jöckel, KH. Studies with low response proportions may be less biased than studies with high response proportions. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;159(2):204-210.Google Scholar
30. Kolbert-Ramm, C, Ramm, M. Zur Studiensituation im Fach Humanmedizin [study situation in human medicine]. http://www.mft-online.de/files/medizinberichtgesamt.pdf. Accessed August 18, 2016.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Wunderlich supplementary material

Appendix

Download Wunderlich supplementary material(File)
File 35 KB