Multicenter assessment of burn team injury prevention knowledge.

Engaging burn professionals to utilize "teachable moments" and provide accurate fire safety and burn prevention (FSBP) education is essential in reducing injury incidence. Minimal data is available regarding burn clinicians' evidence-based FSBP knowledge. A committee of prevention professionals developed, pilot-tested, and distributed a 52-question online survey assessing six major categories: demographical information (n = 7); FSBP knowledge (n = 24); home FSBP practices (n = 6); burn center FSBP education (n = 7); self-assessed competence and confidence in providing FSBP education (n = 2); and improving ABA reach (n = 6). Responses with <50% completion of FSBP knowledge section were excluded. Total group's (TG) mean FSBP score of 61.5% was used to define and compare underperformers (UP). After excluding 36 incomplete responses, test scores ranged: TG (n = 427) 21-88% and UP (n = 183) 21-58%. Ten FSBP knowledge questions covering seven topics were incorrectly answered by >50% of TG. ANOVA showed self-reported competence and confidence in providing FSBP education were not good predictors of FSBP scores, but staff with <2 years experience scored lower. Over 90% of TG wants FSBP fact sheets for patient education. Burn professionals have a responsibility to educate patients, families, and communities on FSBP. Team members report competence and confidence in their ability to provide FSBP education. However, this multicenter survey demonstrates the need for professional training on best practices in injury prevention, specifically targeting knowledge gaps on: smoke alarms, fire-safe cigarettes, children's sleepwear, burn/fire epidemiology, fireworks, bathing/scald injuries, and residential sprinklers. Based on these findings, FSBP educational materials will be created.

Preparing for burn disasters: predictors of improved perceptions of competency after mass burn care training.

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital and community hospital healthcare providers in the United States must be prepared to respond to burn disasters. Continuing education is the most frequently utilized method of updating knowledge, skills, and competence among healthcare professionals. Since preparedness training must meet multiple educational demands, it is vital to understand how participants' work and educational experience and the program's content and delivery methods impact knowledge acquisition, and how learning influences confidence and competence to perform new skills. PURPOSE: The purpose of this exploratory, convenience sample study was to identify healthcare provider characteristics and continuing education training content areas that were predictive of self-reported improvement in competence after attending a mass-casualty burn disaster continuing education program. METHODS: Logistic regression analysis of data from a post-training evaluation from nine, one-day continuing education conferences on mass burn care was used to identify factors associated with improved self-reported competency to respond to mass burn casualties. RESULTS: The following factors were associated most closely with increased self-reported competency: (1) prehospital work setting (odds ratio (OR) = 3.06, confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-11.30, p = 0.09); (2) 11 or more years of practice (OR = 0.31, CI = 0.09-1.08, p = 0.07); and (3) practice in an urban setting (OR = 0.01, CI = 0.18-0.82, p < 0.01). Confidence items included: (1) ability to implement appropriate airway management modalities (OR = 2.31, CI = 1.03-5.17, p < 0.04); (2) manage patients with electrical injuries (OR = 4.86, CI = 1.84-12.85, p < 0.001); (3) identify non-survivable injuries (OR = 2.24, CI = 0.93-5.43, p = 0.07); and (4) recognize special problems associated with burns in young children or older adults (OR = 2.14, CI = 0.87-5.23, p = 0.10). The final model explained 89.9% of the variability in self-reported competence. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions used to train healthcare providers for burn disasters must cover a broad range of topics. However, learning needs may vary by practice setting, work experience, and previous exposure to disaster events. This evaluation research provides three-fold information for continuing education research: (1) to identify content areas that should be emphasized in future burn care training; (2) to be used as a model for CE evaluation in other domains; and (3) to provide support that many factors must be considered when designing a CE program. Results may be useful to others who are planning CE training programs.