vPreparedness of emergency care providers from a local authority emergency management service for online continuous professional development

Introduction Prehospital emergency care provides medical care to an injured or ill person out of the clinic or hospital environment. Due to the unique and demanding circumstances in which emergency care providers practice, a focussed foundation of knowledge is needed. To remain current with advances in the medical field, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) introduced the concept of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Purpose of the study The purpose of this research was to determine if the emergency care providers from the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Service (COJEMS) are prepared for online education as a means for compliance in CPD. The three objectives of the study included: 1. An analysis of baseline information on demographics, educational level, qualifications of the emergency care providers, and access to electronic equipment by emergency care providers from COJEMS. 2. An assessment of the knowledge, current exposure to e-learning, and confidence when using electronic equipment to access online learning material, and 3. An analysis of preferences for traditional classroom learning or e-learning by emergency care providers from COJEMS. Methodology A questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of COJEMS operational emergency care providers during a two-month period. The statistical aspect of the research was completed using descriptive analysis. From these results, relevant information was extrapolated, and results were drawn. Results The following sub-questions were posed: 1. Are the COJEMS emergency care providers prepared for online learning using electronic technology? 2. Are the COJEMS emergency care providers confident in the use of computers and programs necessary for online and e-learning? 3. What recommendations can be made that would improve or contribute towards COJEMS emergency care providers’ preparedness for online learning? The results indicated the COJEMS emergency care providers were not prepared for online learning; they lacked the skills and knowledge necessary to use electronic equipment to access online learning. The majority of the sample preferred the traditional classroom environment to autonomous learning. Based on these findings, it is unlikely the COJEMS emergency care providers will achieve CPD compliance using electronic devices and online learning. Conclusions and recommendations The findings from this study indicate that the COJEMS emergency care providers are not prepared for online learning, and therefore will not achieve CPD compliancy using the Internet. Regular access to computers and in-service training is vital to up skill these emergency care providers, to meet the demands of modern-day learning.