Training military medics as civilian prehospital care providers in Southern Sudan.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and evaluate a training program to teach civilian prehospital care to military medics in the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).


METHODS
Forty-one SPLA military personnel with variable prior medical experience participated in the course. Pre- and postintervention tests were used to evaluate participant knowledge and skill level, and test results were compared using paired t-tests.


RESULTS
An intensive 40-hour course consisting of didactic teaching sessions, small-group discussions, and practical skill stations was completed during November 1997. Thirty-seven participants successfully completed the program. Four medics with significant prior experience were trained as teaching assistants. The pretest scores for the other 33 participants ranged from 25.0% to 75.0% (SD 12.4). The posttest scores ranged from 25.0% to 87.5% (SD 15.2), with a mean improvement in test scores of 35.0% (p < 0.0005). The most striking improvements were noted in the knowledge of subjects related to wound care, hemorrhage, and head trauma.


CONCLUSIONS
A field medic training program in Southern Sudan was conducted utilizing an interactive training curriculum. This program may serve as an educational model to teach prehospital care principles in other areas of international conflict.
VanRooyen
M J
MJ
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for International Emergency Medicine Studies, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. mvanrooy@jhmi.edu
Erickson
T B
TB
Cruz
C
C
Levy
P
P
Isaacs
J K
JK
D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007391:International Cooperation; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education*; D017145:Models, Educational; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013397:Sudan; D014481:United States; D014857:Warfare; D000078329:Workforce