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The Global Educational Toxicology Toolkit (GETKIT): A 1-Day Course for Teaching Poisoning Essentials in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC): Course Development and Pilot Data Analysis

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Abstract

Introduction

Worldwide an estimated one million deaths occur annually as a result of poisoning. Internationally there is a lack of toxicology training programs, especially in resource poor settings. We developed a one-day, interactive toxicology curriculum for healthcare practitioners in countries lacking clinical toxicology training and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness for knowledge dissemination.

Methods

GETKIT was developed with 3 sections: didactics, hands on toxicology case lab, and technology clinic. The investigators, who are medical toxicologists,created 23 didactic lectures and 42 workshop cases. All materials were peer reviewed by 5 senior medical toxicologists for content validity. Participants atpilot sites were given pre-course, post-course, and 3-month follow-up tests and surveys.

Results

GETKIT was delivered internationally at 7 sites between November 2017 and April 2018. There were 186 total participants. One hundred and ten participants (59%) reported their hospital lacked a clinical toxicology service. The median post course score 12 (60%), IQR (6,14) was significantly higher compared to the pre-course score 9 (45%), IQR (6,11) (p < 0.0001). There was a significantly higher median 3-month post course score 13 (65%), IQR (8,14) vs. a median pre course score of 9 (45%), IQR (6,11) (p 0.0005). At 3-month follow up 86% of participants reported GETKIT had changed their clinical practice.

Conclusions

An improvement in and retention of medical toxicology knowledge was demonstrated with the GETKIT course. It also conferred improvement in selfreportedpoisoning management practices in participants from low resource settings.

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Funding

This project was the recipient of the 2017 American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT)/Medical Toxicology Foundation (MTF) Innovative Research and Teaching Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Kathryn T. Kopec

  2. California Poison Control System and UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program, Fresno, CA, USA

    Rais Vohra

  3. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

    Cynthia Santos

  4. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ziad Kazzi

  5. Victorian Poisons Information Centre and Austin Toxicology Service, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Australia

    Anselm Wong

  6. School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Anselm Wong

  7. Centre for Integrated Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Anselm Wong

Authors
  1. Kathryn T. Kopec
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  2. Rais Vohra
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  3. Cynthia Santos
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  4. Ziad Kazzi
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  5. Anselm Wong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn T. Kopec.

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Supervising Editor: Trevonne M. Thompson, M.D.

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Kopec, K.T., Vohra, R., Santos, C. et al. The Global Educational Toxicology Toolkit (GETKIT): A 1-Day Course for Teaching Poisoning Essentials in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC): Course Development and Pilot Data Analysis. J. Med. Toxicol. 16, 255–261 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-019-00745-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-019-00745-8

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