Intercultural competencies and a better understanding of each other are vital for the peaceful coexistence of humans in general and in Europe in particular. The BICAS project makes a valuable contribution. Through the ongoing European integration and also the growing numbers of immigrants in the EU the need for intercultural competencies in professions dealing directly with people is inevitable. So far this issue has not been sufficiently been part of vocational training and further training. Especially in the field of pre-clinical emergency and health care this is becoming a major current problem. Paramedics are confronted with situations where intercultural knowledge and competencies are vital. Emergency care services are overstrained due to lack of preparation for and theming of intercultural aspects in training. This leads to inadequate communication with patients as well as massive complications due to religious / cultural differences, psychosocial challenges and high stress levels leading to avoidable complications in emergency situations. The BICAS project addresses these needs through the development of an intercultural training course concept and framework which will be translated into a blended learning approach and supporting tools, such as a Quick Reference in Action mobile APP. The intercultural training course concept will formulate learning outcomes using ECVET criteria. The blended learning training course will be piloted and thoroughly evaluated to achieve a sustainable high quality output, which will be used in vocational training and further training of paramedics throughout Europe. Apart from the project partners other stakeholders will be invited to adopt the training course and mobile app. In order to achieve this, training course guidelines and policy recommendations will be published and disseminated on national and European level. In order to achieve these ambitious goals a partnership of ambulance services, vocational training institutions, organisations working with migrants, providing intercultural competencies training, IT experts and evaluation experts has been formed. The aims and objectives of the BICAS project are- Increased intercultural competencies of paramedics through a blended learning approach adopted for further and initial training, applying ECVET criteria.- A Quick Reference in Action mobile application supporting paramedics in their daily work by providing easy accessible and important cultural background information.- Facilitation of the work of paramedics through lower stress levels thanks to better intercultural understanding and ability to act accordingly. - Increased stakeholder (health authorities, ambulance services, training providers) and beneficiary (migrants) awareness of the topic and role of emergency services.
BICAS - Building Intercultural Competencies for Ambulance Services was a transnational project, co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, including six partners from Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, running from 09/2016-08/2019. The main objective of this project was answering a rising need for intercultural competencies of ambulance service employees throughout Europe triggered by greater awareness about cultural diversity in European societies and especially by the increased influx of migrants and refugees. The on-going European integration, as well as the growing numbers of refugees and migrants, make intercultural competencies a necessity in pre-clinical emergency services. In fact, ambulance services and paramedics, as well as other medical and emergency personnel, are confronted with situations where intercultural knowledge is necessary. If intercultural competencies are lacking, emergency services are increasingly overstrained, leading to inadequate communication with patients, massive complications based on cultural/religious differences, psychosocial challenges and high stress levels on both sides, which result in avoidable complications in emergency situations. To achieve increased intercultural competencies, the consortium, consisting of vocational training institutions, organisations working with migrants, providing intercultural competencies training, IT experts and evaluation experts, developed an intercultural training course concept and framework which was translated into a blended learning approach and supporting tools, such as a Quick Reference in Action mobile APP. The App, which summarizes important information and can be used on the job to support ambulance service employees in the fulfilment of their tasks by providing easy accessible and important cultural background Information has been tested in the partner countries. The intercultural training course concept has formulated learning outcomes using ECVET criteria. The format of this training course is blended learning, consisting of an e-learning pathway and in-class-training. The blended learning training course was piloted and thoroughly evaluated to achieve a sustainable high quality output, which will be used in vocational training and further training of paramedics throughout Europe even after the project has ended. The results of the testing phase have been thoroughly evaluated. The results have been formulated in the policy recommendations to provide other stakeholders with a blueprint for intercultural competence training and the BICAS project's lessons learned and derived recommendations for the successful implementation of an intercultural competencies training. The goal of the training course is to achieve the willingness and ability to change perspective and put oneself in the place of people with migration history and different cultural identities references, putting own views into perspective and broaden social skills and abilities to work more efficiently. Gaining intercultural competencies is a process, which takes time and where the outcome is difficult to measure or to be estimated, since this is dependent on the willingness to integrate this knowledge into one’s own thinking and acting. However, through the BICAS training course and App paramedics will be enabled to competently handle difficult emergencies in an intercultural situation. Achievements of the project: - training course on intercultural competencies available in English, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish - trainer handbook for in-class-training available in English, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish - course curriculum available in English, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish - BICAS App available in English, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish - Emergency support dictionary within the BICAS App available in 11 languages - training course evaluation report available in English - App evaluation report available in English - training Course Guidelines & policy recommendations available in English, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish - implementation of intercultural competence training in initial and further education for paramedics by Johanniter Austria and Germany, and in Poland. BICAS materials will be used by the Department of Medical Emergency of University of Rzeszów, in initial and further vocational training in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. - ongoing cooperation of Italian, and Spanish partners with organisations active in further education in health care, for example with the Andalusian School of Public Health sited in Granada where the LLTA was delivered with the participation of teachers - extension of the course to other target groups within the health care system - growing understanding of the relevance of intercultural competencies