• Suat Kimaz, Suna Soysal, Arif H Cimrin, and Türkan Günay.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Karşiyaka State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
• Ulus Travma Acil Cer. 2006 Jan 1;12(1):59-67.

BackgroundWe aimed to determine the level of knowledge of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) physicians on Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and medicolegal responsibilities in conjunction with related factors.MethodsFifty-three physicians (43 male, 10 females; mean age 39 years; range 28 to 50 years) employed in EMS were required to respond a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and educational background. They also answered 25 multiple-choice questions about BLS, ACLS and medicolegal responsibilities of physicians in a face-to-face manner. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance test.ResultsMean level of knowledge was 45.4 on a hundred-point scale. Attendance to courses covering emergency aid and working as an ambulance physician for more than one year were associated with higher levels of knowledge (p=0.012; p=0.015).ConclusionIn-service training should be undertaken to raise the level of knowledge of the physicians employed in rural EMS and to improve the quality of field care.

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