Impact of multi-professional simulation-based training on perceptions of safety and preparedness among health workers caring for coronavirus disease 2019 patients in Pakistan

• Main Authors: Jamal Azfar Khan, Muhammad Rizwan Bashir Kiani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea Health Insurance Licensing Examination Institute 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions
• Subjects: coronavirus; covid-19; pakistan; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; simulation training
• Online Access: http://www.jeehp.org/upload/jeehp-17-19.pdf
• ISSN: 1975-5937

This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of safety and preparedness among health workers caring for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients before and after a multi-professional simulation-based course in Pakistan. Health workers’ perceptions of preparedness, safety, and their willingness to care for COVID-19 patients were measured before and after they attended a simulation-based training course to prepare them to care for COVID-19 patients at Combined Military Hospital Landi Kotal Cantt, from March 1 to April 30, 2020. The participants’ perceived level of safety and preparedness to care for COVID-19 patients before the simulation-based course was low, but increased after completing it (P<0.05). They felt confident and were significantly more willing to care for patients with COVID-19 or other infections requiring strict isolation. Simulation-based training is an effective tool to improve perceptions of risk and readiness to deal with COVID-19 among medical and non-medical health workers in Pakistan.