Exploring University Education Variation A Mixed-Methods Survey of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Undergraduate Paramedical Electrocardiography Content
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Abstract
In Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, statutory registration bodies define the capabilities expected of graduate paramedics but do not prescribe a minimum curriculum. Consequently, the extent to which universities differ in the content they teach is unknown.
Aim: To determine the depth of teaching and degree of overlap in electrocardiography content across university paramedicine programs.
Methods: A custom-designed mixed-methods survey comprising 377 electrocardiography topics and free-text questions was developed through a five-stage design and pretesting process. Fourteen of the eighteen eligible university programs participated (78%). Quantitative curriculum overlap was assessed using Simple Matching Coefficients, while qualitative responses underwent content analysis.
Results: Considerable variation was identified across university curricula. 66% of topics were taught by some universities and not by others, 30% were taught by all universities but to differing depths, and 4% were approached the same across all universities. Average university curriculum overlap was modest (52%, IQR 47%-60%). Qualitative responses reflected uncertainty regarding the appropriate breadth of undergraduate electrocardiography education, with participants describing it as “hard to know if we are teaching too much or not enough” and calling for a “standardized minimally accepted practice level.”
Conclusion: There is a high level of heterogeneity in electrocardiography education in undergraduate paramedicine programs in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. This includes content with significant patient safety risks. Development of a standardized minimum curriculum would provide educators and employers with certainty about expected graduate electrocardiography capabilities and may improve patient safety.
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