Impact of the primary trauma care course in the Kongo Central province of the Democratic Republic of Congo over two years

Abstract

BackgroundThe two-day Primary Trauma Care (PTC) course covers the management of injured patients and takes into account resource constraints experienced in low and middle-income countries. Currently, there are no studies on the long-term impact of the course on knowledge or attitudes. The PTC course was introduced in Kongo Central Central province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a series of interventions to improve trauma care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of PTC on the trauma knowledge, confidence and attitudes regarding trauma care of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the DRC over two years. MethodA retrospective cohort study was conducted comparing multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) and confidence matrix results of PTC attendees prior to the course, immediately after, and at the time of follow up at either 12, 16 or 24 months. A semi-structured questionnaire was additionally administered at follow up to explore the effect of PTC on key areas of trauma learning: skills, attitudes and relationships. ResultsA total of 59/80 HCWs who attended the PTC course completed follow-up questionnaires. Participants were predominantly male (42/59) with a mean age of 41.6 years. There was an increase of 4.8 in MCQ scores and 9.6 in confidence scores (p < 0.01) post-PTC. MCQ scores were maintained 24 months after the course, whereas confidence scores declined (p = 0.03). At follow-up, 36/59 participants reported that equipment was not available for procedures and 52/59 felt more could be done to better manage injured patients locally. All participants believed trauma services were important and felt that the course contributed to improving the management of trauma patients. ConclusionsThis study found that knowledge gained from the PTC course was maintained over two years, although individuals felt less clinically confident. A refresher course may be appropriate within two years to improve relatively low overall knowledge scores and participants’ confidence. Whilst resource constraints within the DRC may hinder trauma care development, the PTC course has equipped attendees with the knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes to improve trauma service development in their region.