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Waterkeyn F, Woodfield J, Massawe SL, Mzimbiri JM, Shabhay ZA, Bureta CA, Sommer F, Mndeme H, Magawa DG, Kwelukilwa D, Ndossi MY, Kinghomella AA, Kaale AJ, Ahmed S, Mtei J, Minja F, Moses M, Medary B, Hussain I, Ikwuegbuenyi CA, Petr O, Kiloloma WO, Rutabasibwa NB, Mangat HS, Mchome LL, Härtl R, Shabani HK. The effect of the Dar es Salaam neurosurgery training course on self-reported neurosurgical knowledge and confidence. Brain Spine 2023; 3:101727. [PMID: 37383451 PMCID: PMC10293233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bas.2023.101727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine organises an annual neurosurgery training course in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The course teaches theory and practical skills in neurotrauma, neurosurgery, and neurointensive care to attendees from across Tanzania and East Africa. This is the only neurosurgical course in Tanzania, where there are few neurosurgeons and limited access to neurosurgical care and equipment. Research question To investigate the change in self-reported knowledge and confidence in neurosurgical topics amongst the 2022 course attendees. Material and methods Course participants completed pre and post course questionnaires about their background and self-rated their knowledge and confidence in neurosurgical topics on a five point scale from one (poor) to five (excellent). Responses after the course were compared with those before the course. Results Four hundred and seventy participants registered for the course, of whom 395(84%) practiced in Tanzania. Experience ranged from students and newly qualified professionals to nurses with more than 10 years of experience and specialist doctors. Both doctors and nurses reported improved knowledge and confidence across all neurosurgical topics following the course. Topics with lower self-ratings prior to the course showed greater improvement. These included neurovascular, neuro-oncology, and minimally invasive spine surgery topics. Suggestions for improvement were mostly related to logistics and course delivery rather than content. Discussion and conclusion The course reached a wide range of health care professionals in the region and improved neurosurgical knowledge, which should benefit patient care in this underserved region.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Waterkeyn
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Julie Woodfield
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Sylvia Leon Massawe
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Juma Magogo Mzimbiri
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Arusha Lutheran Medical Center, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Zarina Ali Shabhay
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Fabian Sommer
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas, USA
| | - Hadija Mndeme
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Dorcas Gidion Magawa
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Donatila Kwelukilwa
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Aingaya Jackson Kaale
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Shakeel Ahmed
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - John Mtei
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Fidelis Minja
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Moses Moses
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Branden Medary
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- New York-Presbyterian - Och Spine, New York, USA
| | - Ibrahim Hussain
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Chibuikem Anthony Ikwuegbuenyi
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
| | - Ondra Petr
- Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wanin Othman Kiloloma
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Halinder Singh Mangat
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas, USA
| | - Laurent Lemeri Mchome
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Roger Härtl
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, New York, USA
- New York-Presbyterian - Och Spine, New York, USA
| | - Hamisi Kimaro Shabani
- Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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