Impact of scenario based training on asthma first aid knowledge and skills in school staff: an open label, three-arm, parallel-group repeated measures study

Objective: To test the hypothesis that scenario-based skills training is more effective than knowledge training alone in improving the asthma first aid skills of school personnel. Education developed specifically for non-primary caregivers such as school staff is vital to minimize the risk of mortality associated with asthma. Methods: Schools were allocated to one of three arms to compare AFA knowledge and AFA skills. Arm 1 underwent conventional asthma training, arm 2 underwent scenario-based training and arm 3 had a combination of the two. Conventional asthma training involved a didactic oral presentation. The scenario-based skills training required the participant to describe and demonstrate how they would manage a child having a severe exacerbation of asthma using equipment provided. Follow-up occurred at 3 weeks post baseline and again between 3-7 months after the first training/education visit. Results: Nineteen primary schools (204 participants) were recruited. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni Post-Hoc Tests showed there was a significant difference in AFA skills scores between the study arms who underwent scenario-based training; arms 2 and 3 (91.5% and 91.1%) and arm 1 who underwent conventional asthma training (77.3%) (p < 0.001). AFA knowledge improved significantly in all study arms with no differences between study arms. Improvements seen in both AFA knowledge and AFA skills were maintained over time. Conclusions: Scenario-based training was superior to conventional didactic asthma training for AFA skills acquisition and overall competency in the administration of AFA and should be included in future asthma training programs.