Open AccessPrepared for Mission? A Survey of Medical Personnel Training Needs Within the International Committee of the Red Cross
Author(s) -
Haverkamp Frederike J. C.,
Veen Harald,
Hoencamp Rigo,
Muhrbeck Måns,
Schreeb Johan,
Wladis Andreas,
Tan Edward C. T. H.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
world journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1432-2323
pISSN - 0364-2313
DOI - 10.1007/s00268-018-4651-5
Subject(s) - preparedness , software deployment , medicine , military personnel , military deployment , military medicine , medical emergency , medical education , family medicine , management , engineering , software engineering , political science , law , economics
Background Humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provide worldwide protection and medical assistance for victims of disaster and conflict. It is important to gain insight into the training needs of the medical professionals who are deployed to these resource scarce areas to optimally prepare them. This is the first study of its kind to assess the self‐perceived preparedness, deployment experiences, and learning needs concerning medical readiness for deployment of ICRC medical personnel. Methods All enlisted ICRC medical employees were invited to participate in a digital questionnaire conducted during March 2017. The survey contained questions about respondents’ personal background, pre‐deployment training, deployment experiences, self‐perceived preparedness, and the personal impact of deployment. Results The response rate (consisting of nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists) was 54% (153/284). Respondents rated their self‐perceived preparedness for adult trauma with a median score of 4.0 on a scale of 1 (very unprepared) to 5 (more than sufficient); and for pediatric trauma with a median score of 3.0. Higher rates of self‐perceived preparedness were found in respondents who had previously been deployed with other organizations, or who had attended at least one master class, e.g., the ICRC War Surgery Seminar ( p < 0.05). Additional training was requested most frequently for pediatrics (65/150), fracture surgery (46/150), and burns treatment (45/150). Conclusion ICRC medical personnel felt sufficiently prepared for deployment. Key points for future ICRC pre‐deployment training are to focus on pediatrics, fracture surgery, and burns treatment, and to ensure greater participation in master classes.