The Effect of a Specialized Training Program on the Knowledge of First Responders About People With Communication Disabilities
Mariesa Rang, Sharon Mankey, Diane Powers Dirette- General Medicine
Purpose:
Individuals with disabilities experience emergencies more often than those without disabilities; people with complex communication needs are even more at risk. Emergency first responders, such as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians, do not receive adequate training to respond to emergencies for this vulnerable community.
Method:
Using a retrospective analysis of pre- and posttests, data from 692 participants were analyzed to determine knowledge change following a 90-min training session on how emergency first responders should communicate with individuals who have complex communication needs. An analysis was first conducted at the whole group level followed by an analysis controlling for occupation.
Results:
Descriptive and inferential statistics revealed a statistically significant difference in change in knowledge across all participants, though controlling for occupation did not reveal a statistically significant change.
Conclusions:
These results indicated the training was successful across all participants regardless of occupation and should be evaluated in other geographical areas. Future research should include a qualitative exploration of emergency first responders' lived experiences in working with this particular group of individuals to ensure the training adequately addresses their needs.