Background

Despite the growth of trauma training courses worldwide, evidence for their impact on clinical practice in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is sparse. We investigated trauma practices by trained providers in Uganda using clinical observation, surveys, and interviews.

Methods

Ugandan providers participated in the Kampala Advanced Trauma Course (KATC) from 2018 to 2019. Between July and September of 2019, we directly evaluated guideline-concordant behaviors in KATC-exposed facilities using a structured real-time observation tool. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with course-trained providers to elucidate experiences of trauma care and factors that impact adoption of guideline-concordant behaviors. We assessed perceptions of trauma resource availability through a validated survey.

Results

Of 23 resuscitations, 83% were managed without course-trained providers. Frontline providers inconsistently performed universally applicable assessments: pulse checks (61%), pulse oximetry (39%), lung auscultation (52%), blood pressure (65%), pupil examination (52%). We did not observe skill transference between trained and untrained providers. In interviews, respondents found KATC personally transformative but not sufficient for facility-wide improvement due to issues with retention, lack of trained peers, and resource shortages. Resource perception surveys similarly demonstrated profound resource shortages and variation across facilities.

Conclusions

Trained providers view short-term trauma training interventions positively, but these courses may lack long-term impact due to barriers to adopting best practices. Trauma courses should include more frontline providers, target skill transference and retention, and increase the proportion of trained providers at each facility to promote communities of practice. Essential supplies and infrastructure in facilities must be consistent for providers to practice what they have learned.