The Effects of the Personnel Development Program in Sub-District Health Promoting Hospitals on the Care of Patients with Emergency Conditions in Nam Pad District, Uttaradit Province

Abstract

The development of an emergency medical service system that is easily accessible to the public, together with the expansion of first aid and basic life support (BLS) knowledge into communities, is essential for reducing injury, disability, and mortality rates. This study employed a quasi-experimental design using a one-group pretest–posttest model. The objective of the research was to compare knowledge of basic life support, first aid, and practical BLS skills among personnel in sub-district health promoting hospitals before and after participating in the program. The research instruments consisted of a knowledge questionnaire and assessment forms for basic life support and first aid skills. The sample was purposively selected from personnel working in sub-district health promoting hospitals. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and the paired t-test to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. The results showed that before the implementation of the program, most participants had a moderate level of knowledge (54.35%), followed by a high level (45.65%). Regarding basic life support skills, 82.61% demonstrated high-level performance, while 8.69% were at a low level. After the implementation of the program, participants’ knowledge scores significantly increased (p < 0.001), and their basic life support performance skills also improved significantly in all aspects (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the personnel development program for sub-district health promoting hospitals was effective in enhancing competence in managing emergency conditions in the community. Participants demonstrated increased knowledge of basic life support, first aid, and improved BLS performance skills after completing the program. It is recommended that the program be expanded to village health volunteers and community leaders to strengthen community-level emergency response capacity. In addition, the findings should be applied to guide personnel development in sub-district health promoting hospitals in other districts of Uttaradit Province.