ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: A large proportion of all emergency visits for paediatric patients across Canada are to general emergency departments (EDs). These centres may not be adequately equipped to provide optimal care for high acuity paediatric emergencies. The objective of this study was to determine paediatric readiness for general EDs and urgent care centres (UCCs) across Alberta and provide each centre with an overall weighted Paediatric Readiness Score (WPRS). METHODS: A paediatric readiness assessment consisting of 55-questions normalized on a 100-point scale was used to survey 107 general EDs, UCCs, and tertiary paediatric EDs in Alberta, Canada. It addresses six primary categories, including Coordination of Patient Care, Physician/Nurse Staffing and Training, Quality Improvement Activities, Patient Safety Initiatives, Policies and Procedures, and Equipment and Supplies. Descriptive statistics were used to present the WPRS score among different groups. Linear regression models were used to explore factors associated with the score. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 59.8%. The median overall WPRS (/100) for all general EDs and UCCs was 48.4 ([interquartile range {IQR}] 17.6). Factors that were correlated with overall score included high paediatric patient volume (24.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.52 to 38.04) and involvement in a simulation education outreach program (9.38, 95% CI: 1.11 to 17.66). CONCLUSION: Based on this survey, the WPRS of EDs and UCCs across Alberta suggest a need to improve readiness to respond to high acuity paediatric emergencies in these settings.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine whether global health (GH) electives enhanced the development of medical students and to examine the influence on host communities. METHODS: A retrospective survey study was conducted with Queen's University undergraduate medical students who had participated in a GH elective. Participants rated the influence of their elective on the aspects of their professional and personal development and their perceived community impact on a scale of 0-5. RESULTS: The highest rated statements focused on the students' personal development and whether the elective provided a valuable learning experience (4.39 and 4.07, respectively). Students also reported a heightened level of awareness of social determinants of health (mean rating of 3.98). The statements with the lowest mean ratings involved students' perceptions of their impact on the communities. Overall, 73.5% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that GH electives are valuable to medical education. CONCLUSION: GH electives benefit the professional and personal development of medical students. Although students gain significantly from their experience, they are unable to assess the impact of their work on the community. Thus, there is a need to assess the effect from both the perspective of the students and of the community members.
