Building Regional Anesthesia Capacity in Limited-Resource Settings: A Pilot Study Evaluating a 4-Week Curriculum

Abstract

Aim: To pilot a 4-week regional anesthesia curriculum for limited-resource settings. Intervention: A baseline needs assessment and knowledge test were deployed. The curriculum included lectures and hands-on teaching, followed by knowledge attainment tests. Results: Scores on the knowledge test improved from a mean of 37.1% (SD 14.7%) to 50.9% (SD 18.6%) (p = 0.017) at 4 weeks and 49% at 24 months. An average of 1.7 extremity blocks per month was performed in 3 months prior to the curriculum, compared with an average of 4.1 per month in 8 months following. Conclusion: This collaborative curriculum appeared to have a positive impact on the knowledge and utilization of regional anesthesia.

Keywords: :

• capacity building
• curriculum
• education
• global health
• post-graduate medical education
• regional anesthesiology
• residency training
• resource-limited setting

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/pmt-2020-0044

Author contributions

All authors meet ICMJE criteria for authorship. V Moll helped to conceive and design the project, assisted in project implementation and data collection, analyzed the data, assisted with the literature review, and conceived, revised and proofread the manuscript. PC Schmidt helped to conceive and design the project, assisted in project implementation and data collection, and proofread and revised the manuscript. C Amos designed the project and created the majority of the lectures, workshops, and all of the data collection tools used. She also participated in data collection for the entire trial. She revised and edited the manuscript. RS Workneh assisted with the needs assessment that informed the project design and assisted in project implementation. She edited and revised the manuscript. M Tadesse assisted with design and project implementation. She edited and revised the manuscript. E Mulugeta participated as a resident in the curriculum. He edited and revised the manuscript. A Abate assisted with the needs assessment that informed the project design, assisted in project implementation and data collection. He edited and revised the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the following persons/entities for their contributions to the project: The Emory Global Health Residency Scholars Program (GHRSP) for being the primary source of funding for the study as well as establishing the collaborative agreement between the Emory University School of Medicine (EUSOM) and the Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine (AAU-CHS-SOM). The Department of Anesthesiology, EUSOM for being a secondary source of funding, providing medical supplies and equipment, and for granting professional leave support to the participating fellow and faculty members involved. D Ikeda for helping with survey and test data imports. R Chaturvedi for data analysis. The faculty and trainees of the AAU-CHS-SOM Department of Anesthesiology for their support and participation in the project. Fujifilm SonoSite, Inc for the loan of a portable, point-of-care ultrasound machine for use in the project.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. This work was supported by the Emory University Department of Anesthesiology and Emory University School of Medicine Global Health Residency Scholars Program (GHRSP). The Fujifilm SonoSite ultrasound was loaned via a standard, existing program to support global health programs and activities by providing devices from a global health loaner pool (https://www.sonosite.com/about/global-health-loaner-pool). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. This work was supported by the Emory University Department of Anesthesiology and Emory University School of Medicine Global Health Residency Scholars Program (GHRSP). The Fujifilm SonoSite ultrasound was loaned via a standard, existing program to support global health programs and activities by providing devices from a global health loaner pool (https://www.sonosite.com/about/global-health-loaner-pool). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.