The effectiveness of an on-line training program for improving knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation of healthcare workers: A randomized controlled trial.

Paul H Lee,Zhenfei Yuan,Wangting Cai,Xiuhong Ying,Baoguo Fu,Lifen Zhang,Jingya Chen,Sara Geale

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199747

Paul H Lee, Zhenfei Yuan + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199747

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Abstract

BackgroundHospitals are vulnerable to fires and the evacuation process is challenging. However, face-to-face fire prevention and evacuation training may take healthcare workers’ time away from patient care; therefore, effective on-line training may be warranted. We carried out and examined the effectiveness of an on-line education and training of fire prevention and evacuation training for healthcare workers in China by a randomized controlled trial using convenience sampling from five public hospitals in China.MethodsA total of 128 participants were recruited between December 2014 and March 2015. The authors built a webpage that included the informed consent statement, pre-test questionnaire, video training, and post-test questionnaire. After completing the pre-test questionnaire, participants were randomly assigned to watch the intervention video (basic response to a hospital fire) or the control video (introduction to volcanic disasters). A 45-item questionnaire on knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation was administered before and after the video watching. This questionnaire were further divided into two subscales (25-item generic knowledge of fire response and 20-item hospital-specific knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation). One point was awarded for each correct answer.ResultsHalf of the participants (n = 64, 50%) were randomized into the intervention group and the remaining 64 (50%) were randomized into the control group. For generic knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation, those in the intervention group improved significantly (from 16.16 to 20.44, P < 0.001) while the scores of those in the control group decreased significantly (from 15.27 to 13.70, P = 0.03). For hospital-specific knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation, those in the intervention group (from 10.75 to 11.33, P = 0.15) and the control group (from 10.38 to 10.16, P = 0.54) had insignificant change. For total score, those in the intervention group improved significantly (from 26.91 to 31.77, P < 0.001) while those in the control group decreased insignificantly (from 25.64 to 23.86, P = 0.07). After the intervention, the difference between the scores of the intervention group and the control group on all three knowledge areas of fire prevention and evacuation (generic, hospital-specific, and total) were significant (all Ps < 0.05).ConclusionsAn on-line fire training program delivered via educational video can effectively improve healthcare workers’ knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT02438150

Highlights

Fire is defined as uncontrolled burning in time and space releasing heat that may result in disaster [1]; if the fire is not immediately handled properly, the consequences will be very serious
An on-line fire training program delivered via educational video can effectively improve healthcare workers’ knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation
Our results showed that on-line training is effective in improving healthcare workers’ knowledge of fire prevention and evacuation

Summary

Introduction

Fire is defined as uncontrolled burning in time and space releasing heat that may result in disaster [1]; if the fire is not immediately handled properly, the consequences will be very serious. The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China requires all medical and health institutions to pay extra attention to personnel evacuation and transfer during the emergency handling of an accident, as they consider emergency handling to be a key element to avoid and reduce casualties to the greatest extent [6]. In view of these national requirements and the seriousness of the consequences of a hospital fire, many hospitals are regularly carrying out fire-related training, but the training effectiveness and method are worth examining.

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