First-aid training for primary Healthcare providers on a remote Island: a mixed-methods study

• Published in: BMC medical education 2024-07, Vol.24 (1), p.790-10, Article 790
• Main Authors: Do Thi, Ninh, Thi, Giang Hoang, Lee, Yoonjung, Minh, Khue Pham, Thanh, Hai Nguyen, Shin, Jwa-Seop, Luong Xuan, Tuyen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Continuous training; Data collection; Emergencies; Female; First Aid; First aid in illness and injury; Focus Groups; Health care industry; Health care policy; Health facilities; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel - education; Health services; Hospitals; Humans; Interviews; Knowledge; Male; Medical care; Medical education; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Mixed-methods; National health insurance; Primary Health Care; Primary healthcare provider; Qualitative research; Quality management; Questionnaires; Research methodology; Skill Development; Skills; System theory; Training; Validity; Variance analysis; Vietnam; Workforce
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05768-6

Ensuring ongoing first-aid training for primary healthcare providers (PHPs) is one of the critical strategies for providing quality health services and contributing to achieving universal health coverage. However, PHPs have received insufficient attention in terms of training and capacity building, especially in the remote areas of low-to-middle-income countries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a first-aid training program for PHPs on a Vietnamese island and explored their perspectives and experiences regarding first-aid implementation. A mixed-methods study was conducted among 39 PHPs working in community healthcare centers. The quantitative method utilized a quasi-experimental design to evaluate participants' first-aid knowledge at three time points: pre-training, immediately post-training, and three months post-training. Sixteen of the PHPs participated in subsequent semi-structured focus group interviews using the qualitative method. Quantitative data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. The quantitative results showed a significant improvement in both the overall mean first-aid knowledge scores and the subdimensions of the first-aid knowledge scores among healthcare providers post-training. There was a statistically significant difference between the baseline and immediate posttest and follow-up knowledge scores (p  0.05). Three main themes emerged from the focus group discussions: perception of first-aid in remote areas, facilitators and barriers. Participants identified barriers, including infrastructure limitations, shortage of the primary healthcare workforce, inadequate competencies, and insufficient resources. Conversely, receiving considerable support from colleagues and the benefits of communication technologies in implementing first aid were mentioned as facilitators. The training bolstered the participants' confidence in their first-aid responses, and there was a desire for continued education. Implementing periodic first-aid refresher training for PHPs in a nationwide resource-limited setting can contribute significantly to achieving universal health coverage goals. This approach potentially enhances the preparedness of healthcare providers in these areas to deliver timely and effective first aid during emerg