Standardized Emergency Medical Care in Mass Participation Endurance Events: Race Emergency Medicine Course (REMC) Educational Program.

INTRODUCTION: World-wide, endurance races, including road races, trail races, cycling events, and triathlons, attract millions of participants each year. While these events promote health, fitness, and exercise, there exists significant risk for morbidity and mortality. The World Academy of Endurance Medicine (WAEM) created the Race Emergency Medicine Course (REMC) to train and certify race organizers and medical directors regarding planning and response for medical emergencies at endurance events. The course includes asynchronous e-learning modules, in person lectures, hands-on simulation sessions, and race-day observation. METHODS: 599 participants from 20 courses conducted in Europe, Asia, North and South America were surveyed. A 5-point Likert scale was utilized to assess participants' impressions regarding the format, quality and effectiveness of the course. A paired t-test was utilized to evaluate participants' self-assessments of their confidence in managing critical siutations both before and after participating in the course. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate responses to open-ended questions. RESULTS: Participants rated the overall REMC 4.7 out of 5. Pre-course e-learning modules were rated 4.4 out of 5 while the lectures, hands-on sessions, and race-day observation activity scored 4.6 out of 5. Overall self-confidence in managing race-related critical situations increased from a mean score of 5.0 to 6.1 on a 7-point scale (p < 0.01). 73% of participants indicated that they plan to modify their practice based on what they learned. CONCLUSION: The REMC is a valuable educational tool to promote medical care and safety at endurance events.