The Role of Haemostasis Course in Increasing Knowledge and Skills in Managing Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed of the Delegates: A British Society of Gastroenterology’s Endoscopy Quality Improvement Programme, Yorkshire Project

Introduction An acute upper gastrointestinal bleed (AUGIB) is a fatal and prevalent medical emergency if not appropriately treated in a timely fashion. Aim The aim of this project was to compare the knowledge and skills of the participants in managing upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) before and after a one-day UGIB haemostasis course. Methods A one-day haemostasis course in line with the British Society of Gastroenterology’s Endoscopy Quality Improvement Project Initiative was organised at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust. The course included lectures on UGIB and its management, which was followed by hands-on training on adrenaline injection, variceal banding, clip placement, thermal therapy, Hemospray® use, Sengstaken-Blakemore tube placement, and Danis stent placement via porcine or plastic models. Pre- and post-course feedback questionnaires consisting of self-assessed ratings related to knowledge, skills, and behaviour relevant to UGIB were offered to all delegates. Two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the results. Results A total of 36 individuals attended the course. Delegates had an average endoscopy procedure count of 583. The cohort ranged from different fields of medicine, including gastroenterology consultants and junior doctors. Ten of the delegates were Joint Advisory Group-certified in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Feedback datasheets were returned by 22 delegates. Significant improvements were reported post-course (p < 0.001), especially in the hands-on and behavioural areas. Conclusion Overall, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge, procedural skills, and confidence of the delegates in the management of an AUGIB post-course. We recommend not only to include this course in gastrointestinal training but also to conduct a course such as this for consultants and junior doctors who wish to undergo gastrointestinal training in the future.