The effectiveness of the disaster medicine training program for emergency physicians who are working for emergency medical services in İzmir city center

Aim: The aim of this cross sectional study was to determine the effect of disaster medicine training program for emergency physicians who are working for emergency medical services in Izmir city center.Method: The sample of this cross sectional study was all of 301 physicians who were working for Emergency Medical Sevices (EMS) in Izmir city center between 10th of Jun and 22nd of August 2010 except disaster medicine course trainers (12 of 313). Two hundred forty eight (82.4%) of them participated in this study completing a questionnaire. The level of knowledge of disaster medicine which is dependent variable of this study was evaluated via 20 questions. Each of them had equal value and totally 100 points. Independent variables of this study were sociodemographical characteristics, occupational status, experience of disaster response and receiving disaster medicine training. The data were obtained via a self reported questionnaire. The data were analized on SPSS 16.0 programme, and were assessed by Chi-square and logistic regression. P< 0.05 was accepted statistically significant.Results: Mean age of 248 participants was 39.3±7.4 years and most of them was male (2/3). Seventy three percent of participants were general practioners and 49.6% of them working for hospital emergency medical services, 50.4% of them were 112 ambulance physicians. Mean of disaster medicine knowledge level was 57.6±16.0. Disaster medicine knowledge level of male physicians (p=0.022), ambulance physicians (p<0.001) and physicians who participated in 5-day disaster medicine course (p<0.001) were found significantly high. Logistic regression model contains age and significantly high variables and it was determined that variables that effects disaster medicine knowledge level significantly were five-day disaster medicine course (p<0.004), being physicians working for 112 ambulance service (p=0.009) and being male physician(0.018).Conclusion: Disaster medicine knowledge level of physicians who are working for EMS and responsible for giving effective medical care in any disaster situation were not found high. According to this study, disaster medicine knowledge level of physicians who were working for 112 ambulance service and physicians who participated in 5-day disaster medicine course and male physicians were found significantly high. Finally all the physicians who are working for EMS should be given disaster medicine training and ensured sustainability of post-graduate training programmes.