# The Effectiveness of the International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) Course on Multidisciplinary Healthcare Providers

## TL;DR

The ITLS course effectively improves trauma management knowledge among healthcare providers, with higher gains for those with more experience or postgraduate education.

## Contribution

This study empirically demonstrates the effectiveness of the ITLS course in enhancing trauma knowledge across multidisciplinary healthcare professionals.

## Key findings

- The ITLS course significantly increased trauma knowledge scores from 82.4 to 88.7 (p < 0.001).
- Participants with postgraduate qualifications and over 15 years of experience had higher post-test scores.
- Participants reported high satisfaction with the course (mean score of 3.56 out of 5).

## Abstract

Background: The International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) course is designed to enhance the trauma management skills of healthcare providers. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the ITLS course in improving trauma knowledge among multidisciplinary healthcare professionals.

Methods: A pre/post research design was used, involving 28 participants who completed both pre- and post-course assessments. Paired sample t-tests and chi-square tests were performed to compare pre- and post-test scores and explore the relationships between demographic characteristics and score changes.

Results: The ITLS course significantly improved trauma-related knowledge among the participants, with the mean pre-test score rising from 82.4 (SD = 4.3) to 88.7 (SD = 3.6) post-test (p < 0.001). Post-test scores were significantly higher for those with postgraduate qualifications (89.9 ± 3.6, p = 0.035) and those who had more than 15 years of experience (88.9 ± 1.7, p < 0.001). The participants reported high satisfaction with the course, with a mean score of 3.56 out of 5, indicating positive reception and perceived effectiveness.

Conclusion: The ITLS course significantly improved the trauma-related knowledge of healthcare providers across multiple disciplines. Participants with multiple years of experience and those with postgraduate degrees were more likely to have higher post-test scores. Participants reported high satisfaction with the course.