title: Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training by Problem-Based Method: Effect on the Trainee's Skills, Knowledge and Evaluation of Trainers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation (CPCR) training is essential for all hospital workers, especially junior residents who might become the manager of the resuscitation team. In our center, the traditional CPCR knowledge training curriculum for junior residents up to 5 years ago was lecture-based and had some faults. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a problem-based method on residents' CPCR knowledge and skills as well as their evaluation of their CPCR trainers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study, conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, included 290 first-year residents in 2009-2010 - who were trained via a problem-based method (the problem-based group) - and 160 first-year residents in 2003-2004 - who were trained via a lecture-based method (the lecture-based group). Other educational techniques and facilities were similar. The participants self-evaluated their own CPCR knowledge and skills pre and post workshop and also assessed their trainers' efficacy post workshop by completing special questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The problem-based group, trained via the problem-based method, had higher self-assessment scores of CPCR knowledge and skills post workshop: the difference as regards the mean scores between the problem-based and lecture-based groups was 32.36 ± 19.23 vs. 22.33 ± 20.35 for knowledge (p value = 0.003) and 10.13 ± 7.17 vs. 8.19 ± 8.45 for skills (p value = 0.043). The residents' evaluation of their trainers was similar between the two study groups (p value = 0.193), with the mean scores being 15.90 ± 2.59 and 15.46 ± 2.90 in the problem-based and lecture-based groups - respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The problem-based method increased our residents' self-evaluation score of their own CPCR knowledge and skills.
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Kianoosh
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Marziyeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghalamkari
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center and Women Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fardin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yousefshahi
authors.affiliation: Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mireskandari
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaei Hamami
keywords: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Education; Life Support Care; Students, Medical