Abstract
Background: Despite the high incidence of motor vehicle collisions and associated mortality rates in Saudi Arabia, formal trauma training and management for undergraduate medical students is not optimal. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of the Trauma Evaluation and Management (TEAM) module on trauma knowledge among senior medical students.
Methods: Final-year medical students were recruited between September 2016 and May 2017 at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. They were allocated to 1 of 2 groups: 1 group was exposed to the TEAM module, and the other was not (control group). We employed a widely used 20-item multiple-choice standardized questionnaire to assess trauma-related knowledge of both groups.
Results: Our study included 136 participants, 68 in the TEAM module group and 68 in the control group. The mean scores for trauma-related knowledge were 68.4% (standard deviation [SD] 15.63%) and 45.4% (SD 19.52%), respectively. Linear regression analysis showed that the TEAM module participants scored 23% higher on the test than the control participants (beta = 22.94%, 95% confidence interval 16.94%-28.94%).
Conclusion: Mean test scores were significantly higher for those who completed the TEAM module than for those who did not. We highly recommend incorporating the TEAM module into the formal medical curriculum at all Saudi universities.