Effects of a Theory-Based Educational Intervention on Skills of Emergency Medical Service Personnel for Scene Management in Chemical Accidents

Background:  Scene management in accidents reduces losses, speeds treatment, and facilitates immediate victim transfer. Learning the related skills through theory-based educational intervention makes this task possible. This study aimed to determine the effect of theory-based educational intervention on emergency medical personnel skills to manage the scene in chemical accidents. Materials and Methods: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention measurements. Using the random sampling method, 70 emergency medical technicians working in Qazvin Province, Iran, were selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. The data collection tools included demographic questions and scales to assess the theory of planned behavior. The intervention program consisted of 4 sessions. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 23 using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. Results: The mean ± SD age of the participants was 35.03± 6.5 years, and 82.6% (57 people) were married. After the intervention, the mean ± SD scores of attitudes (from 6.4 ± 2.50 to 9.2 ± 6.65), subjective norms (from 8.4±5.14to 3.3 ± 1.20), perceived behavior control (from 5.18 ± 6.2 ± to 0.2 ± 4.26), and behavioral intention (from 4.2±7.8 to 9.1 ± 9.12) increased significantly in the experimental group (P<0.001). Also, the self-report behavior in the experimental group improved significantly (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Theory-based educational intervention improved psychological variables and safe behaviors in chemical accident management. Implementing educational interventions based on this theory enhances the safety performance of medical emergency technicians in chemical accidents.