The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study

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dc.contributor.advisorKhan, Waseela
dc.contributor.advisorStassen, Willem
dc.contributor.authorVlok, Neville
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-01T12:15:20Z
dc.date.available2025-10-01T12:15:20Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-10-01T10:10:14Z
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND: South African Emergency Medicine registrars undertake between one and three-month pre-hospital work placements as a component of the specialist training programme. Anecdotally, the experiences of trainees nationally vary substantially which may be attributed to the lack of a curriculum to guide expected graduate outcomes, teaching, learning or assessment in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM). Although efforts are underway to renew the EM curriculum in SA by the College of Emergency Medicine (CEM), this is the first body of research dedicated towards a pre-hospital curriculum for South African EM specialist training. AIM: To seek consensus on expected graduate level pre-hospital core competencies and generate broad learning outcomes for the SA EM specialist training curriculum. METHODS: A modified nominal group technique (NGT) was used to derive PHEM competencies and outcomes for specialist trainees. A scoping review of the literature informed the NGT by extrapolating global pre-hospital competencies and outcomes for registrars. Fourteen experts in either pre-hospital education and/or practice and specialist EM physicians were purposively recruited. A summary of core competencies and outcomes were presented to the panel over two virtual sessions. PHEM core competencies and broad-level outcomes were generated through consensus and context-specific gaps in the international literature were addressed and suggestions also presented for consensus. RESULTS The panel concluded that the WHO Emergency Care Systems Framework (ECSF) was appropriate to organise competencies and outcomes. The consensus process yielded 6 core competencies and 36 broad-level outcomes; eleven outcomes for scene response, 21 for transport and 4 for facility. CONCLUSION: The consensus process allowed researchers to design a curriculum framework for a PHEM module which can inform the specialist training curriculum for the CEM SA. Aviation for Health Care Provider and Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support courses potentially address specific outcomes. Self-directed and experiential learning have been highlighted as crucial teaching-learning methodologies, and opportunities identified for transprofessional collaboration. The results reported here could be used in the next steps of curriculum development.
dc.identifier.apacitationVlok, N. (2025). <i>The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Emergency Unit. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationVlok, Neville. <i>"The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Emergency Unit, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVlok, N. 2025. The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Emergency Unit. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Vlok, Neville AB - BACKGROUND: South African Emergency Medicine registrars undertake between one and three-month pre-hospital work placements as a component of the specialist training programme. Anecdotally, the experiences of trainees nationally vary substantially which may be attributed to the lack of a curriculum to guide expected graduate outcomes, teaching, learning or assessment in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM). Although efforts are underway to renew the EM curriculum in SA by the College of Emergency Medicine (CEM), this is the first body of research dedicated towards a pre-hospital curriculum for South African EM specialist training. AIM: To seek consensus on expected graduate level pre-hospital core competencies and generate broad learning outcomes for the SA EM specialist training curriculum. METHODS: A modified nominal group technique (NGT) was used to derive PHEM competencies and outcomes for specialist trainees. A scoping review of the literature informed the NGT by extrapolating global pre-hospital competencies and outcomes for registrars. Fourteen experts in either pre-hospital education and/or practice and specialist EM physicians were purposively recruited. A summary of core competencies and outcomes were presented to the panel over two virtual sessions. PHEM core competencies and broad-level outcomes were generated through consensus and context-specific gaps in the international literature were addressed and suggestions also presented for consensus. RESULTS The panel concluded that the WHO Emergency Care Systems Framework (ECSF) was appropriate to organise competencies and outcomes. The consensus process yielded 6 core competencies and 36 broad-level outcomes; eleven outcomes for scene response, 21 for transport and 4 for facility. CONCLUSION: The consensus process allowed researchers to design a curriculum framework for a PHEM module which can inform the specialist training curriculum for the CEM SA. Aviation for Health Care Provider and Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support courses potentially address specific outcomes. Self-directed and experiential learning have been highlighted as crucial teaching-learning methodologies, and opportunities identified for transprofessional collaboration. The results reported here could be used in the next steps of curriculum development. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Emergency physician training LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study TI - The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationVlok N. The development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Emergency Unit, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41945en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentEmergency Unit
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectEmergency physician training
dc.titleThe development of consensus-based pre-hospital core competencies and outcomes as a component of specialist emergency physician training - a South African-based study
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMMed
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