Educational interventions to improve pediatric emergency care

A qualitative assessment of the perspectives of African healthcare workers

Bibliographic Data

ID19591817
AuthorsEmily A Hartford (0000-0001-8209-6381, University of Washington, corresponding author), Chris A Rees (0000-0001-6449-0377, Emory University, corresponding author), Isaac Kihurani (0000-0001-5313-6620, Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, corresponding author), Syeda Ra’ana Hussain (0000-0002-0507-2834, Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, corresponding author), Elena Seifert (0009-0006-0977-6376, Medical College of Wisconsin, corresponding author), Alexis Schmid (0000-0002-3174-3283, Boston Children's Hospital, corresponding author), Tigist Bacha (0000-0002-8322-1612, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, corresponding author), Carol C Chen (University of California, San Francisco, corresponding author), Megan L Schultz (0000-0002-7286-0179, Medical College of Wisconsin, corresponding author)
EditorsJulia Robinson (0000-0003-0719-3995)
Year2025
Volume5
Issue1
Pagese0004095
Publication date2025-01-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0004095
PMID39774395
OpenAlexW4406141923
LanguageEN
References cited26

Pediatric emergency care (PEC) training for health care workers (HCWs) is commonly offered in the form of short courses. This study gathers the perspectives of HCWs from eight African countries on how to best deliver and implement short training courses in PEC. This is a qualitative study using semi-structured key informant (KI) interviews. Utilizing the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM) member list serve, we identified African HCWs who had previous experience participating in and/or delivering short training courses in PEC. From this cohort, four interviewers were selected. These interviewers all received training in qualitative interviewing and then each recruited five KIs in their respective settings using convenience sampling. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated as necessary, and coded using thematic analysis. A total of 20 interviews were completed. Most KIs (75%) were physicians. Several themes on short training courses in PEC emerged: there was strong motivation to participate in PEC trainings, interactive sessions were preferred over didactic sessions, the recommended course structure was a half-day format with longitudinal follow-up, and the ideal for course instructors was a mix of local trainers and visiting trainers. KIs reported several potential negative consequences of short training courses in PEC, including clinical staffing gaps during courses and PEC content taught that was incongruous with local protocols. Future curricular development and implementation of short training courses in PEC should incorporate the preferences and best practices identified by African HCWs, namely interactive sessions with longitudinal follow-up given by a mix of local and visiting trainers. Our study limitations include the number of participants and potential for selection bias

Health care · Interview · Medical education · Psychological intervention · Qualitative research · Staffing · Thematic analysis · Child and Adolescent Health · Emergency and Acute Care Studies · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Trauma and Emergency Care Studies