Background:

the increase in preparation actions for medical science students to carry out the "house to house" research was a necessity, taking into account that Santa Clara municipality in Villa Clara province reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases, in the first months of 2021.

Objective:

to determine the effectiveness of a training program for medical science students in preventive actions against COVID-19, during active "house-to-house" investigations.

Methods:

a training program based on action research was developed and implemented, inserted in the prevention actions carried out by the students in community settings; they were grouped into 132 Doctor´s Offices, belonging to the six polyclinics of Santa Clara municipality. The intervention was carried out from March 8 to April 10, 2021. The universe consisted of 809 students, who investigated 126,475 people.

Results:

at the end of the program, 508 students obtained ratings of Very Good and 132 of Good, with significant differences between the level of knowledge before and after its implementation.

Conclusions:

the training program demonstrated effectiveness because the level of knowledge of the students who participated was modified, their knowledge and skills to carry out preventive actions improved; they achieved early detection of patients at risk and sick with COVID-19.

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