Lack of emergency medical care is an important factor contributing to lower survival rates of critically ill children in low- and middle-income countries, especially those in Africa. Educational efforts focused on pediatric emergency care training are also lacking. To address this need, I am part of an international group developing a novel pediatric emergency medicine curriculum that is based on a needs assessment from key stakeholders.
I will also travel to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where I will implement the curriculum in a pilot study at Muhimbili National Hospital. The curriculum will be assessed for efficacy and acceptability.
The goal is to improve emergency care services for acutely ill and injured children, decreasing morbidity and mortality. The pilot study will take place at Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania with the ultimate goal of adjusting the curriculum to fit any and all interested populations around the world.
AIM 1: To develop a locally relevant, multimodal pediatric emergency medicine curriculum to train Muhimbili National Hospital emergency department providers in the emergency and critical care of children for the most commonly encountered conditions and those with the highest attributable risk to morbidity and mortality.
AIM 2: To evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of the curriculum by: (a) Conducting a non-randomized, controlled pilot study designed to examine the association between this curriculum and self-efficacy, fund of knowledge, changes in practice behavior, and patient outcomes in a group of participating providers compared to a group of matched, non-participating providers; and (b) Conducting a qualitative study to examine the attitudes and perceptions of providers about the acceptability and effectiveness of the curriculum.
Please let me know if full project proposal needed.
My project is developing and implementing a pediatric emergency medicine curriculum and will benefit a spectrum of health care providers from community health care workers to emergency medicine specialists. The pilot study will take place in the emergency department at Muhimbili National Hospital, the national referral hospital for Tanzania where UCSF has a strong partnership. This location was chosen because of the partnership, identified need, and buy-in from Muhimbili National Hospital Emergency Department leadership.
Ultimately the project will benefit the critically ill and injured children Muhimbili National Hospital’s referral area.
The curriculum will be free and available online or downloadable for use without internet. Therefore its use will continue after I leave. Once the final iteration of the curriculum is developed, Muhimbili National Hospital Emergency Department leadership plans to incorporate the curriculum into their training programs.
We directly impacted nurses in Tanzania by developing and teaching a pediatric emergency medicine course and indirectly impacting sick and injured children in Tanzania.
