General emergency medicine skills (GEMS) training for rural physicians: evaluation of a pilot project.

The objective of GEMS (General Emergency Medicine Skills) is to deliver an emergency skills program relevant to rural physicians. The cognitive component was disseminated by four interactive CD-ROM modules while the practice component consisted of skill practice on a human patient simulator (HPS) at a rural hospital. During the pilot year, 16 participants completed the program and filled in an evaluation survey to collect participant feedback. Modules facilitated maintenance of current knowledge, new knowledge acquisition, and confidence in dealing with emergencies. The HPS reinforced module knowledge, allowed practice of skills, and was necessary to fully benefit from the modules. The application process was easy and program administration was good. GEMS positively affected participants' delivery of emergency medicine and their willingness to continue the practice of rural emergency medicine. GEMS provides rural physicians relevant, interactive skills training at a rural setting.