Objectives: The goal of this study was to find out the training received in Urgent and Emergency Medicine (UEM) by the Primary Health Care (PHC) physicians of Asturias (Spain), as well as their perception of their own theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a series of procedures employed in life-threatening emergencies (LTEs), and also to analyze the differences according to the geographical area of their work.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of PHC physicians using an ad hoc survey of a sample of 213 physicians in Asturias regarding their self-perception of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in techniques used in LTEs by areas of work (rural, suburban, and urban). The interview was conducted by mail from April through May 2017. The data processing has used absolute and relative frequencies, as well as central tendency parameters and dispersion parameters. The estimates for the entire population have been made using confidence intervals for the mean of 95%. In the comparison of parameters, the differences between parameters with a probability of error less than five percent (P<.05) have been considered significant. For the comparison of means between the different techniques in the different areas of work, ANOVA was used.
Results: With respect to the training of physicians, in general, for managing emergencies, both at the regional level and by areas of work (rural, suburban, and urban), none of the sets analyzed attained five points. By areas of work, it was the suburban region where there was a greater average general level of knowledge. There were significant differences in the average theoretical knowledge and the average practical skills in the procedures studied according to the different areas of work. The greater number of significant differences was between the urban and suburban regions and within the urban area.
Conclusions: It's necessary to ensure an adequate homogeneity of the levels of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of PHC physicians in order to guarantee the equity of provision of health care in emergencies in different geographical areas. Cernuda MartínezJA, Castro DelgadoR, Ferrero FernándezE, Arcos GonzálezP. Self-perception of theoretical knowledges and practical skills by primary health care physicians in life-threatening emergencies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):508-518.
Keywords: ALS Advanced Life Support; BLS Basic Life Support; CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation; DBEM Doctrinal Body of Emergency Medicine; FCM Family and Community Medicine; HA Health Administration; LTE life-threatening emergency; PHC Primary Health Care; SESPA Healthcare Service of Asturias; UEM Urgent and Emergency Medicine; emergency; practical skill; theoretical knowledge.