Differences in Basic Life Support Knowledge Between Junior Medical Students and Lay People: Web-Based Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Background Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation and prompt defibrillation markedly increase the survival rate in the event of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). As future health care professionals, medical students should be trained to efficiently manage an unexpectedly encountered OHCA. Objective Our aim was to assess basic life support (BLS) knowledge in junior medical students at the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine (UGFM) and to compare it with that of the general population. Methods Junior UGFM students and lay people who had registered for BLS classes given by a Red Cross–affiliated center were sent invitation links to complete a web-based questionnaire. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in a 10-question score regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge. Secondary outcomes were the differences in the rate of correct answers for each individual question, the level of self-assessed confidence in the ability to perform resuscitation, and a 6-question score, “essential BLS knowledge,” which only contains key elements of the chain of survival. Continuous variables were first analyzed using the Student t test, then by multivariable linear regression. Fisher exact test was used for between-groups comparison of binary variables. Results The mean score was higher in medical students than in lay people for both the 10-question score (mean 5.8, SD 1.7 vs mean 4.2, SD 1.7; P<.001) and 6-question score (mean 3.0, SD 1.1 vs mean 2.0, SD 1.0; P<.001). Participants who were younger or already trained scored consistently better. Although the phone number of the emergency medical dispatch center was well known in both groups (medical students, 75/80, 94% vs lay people, 51/62, 82%; P=.06), most participants were unable to identify the criteria used to recognize OHCA, and almost none were able to correctly reorganize the BLS sequence. Medical students felt more confident than lay people in their ability to perform resuscitation (mean 4.7, SD 2.2 vs mean 3.1, SD 2.1; P<.001). Female gender and older age were associated with lower confidence, while participants who had already attended a BLS course prior to taking the questionnaire felt more confident. Conclusions Although junior medical students were more knowledgeable than lay people regarding BLS procedures, the proportion of correct answers was low in both groups, and changes in BLS education policy should be considered.

Factors Related to Young People’s Willingness to Perform Basic Life Support

“…The effectiveness of BLS education in young people has been recognized and implemented. 3,4,20,[23][24][25][26] Therefore, willingness to implement BLS education does not vary by age, and we believe that the importance of BLS education in young people has increased. Among young people, three items ("Presence of someone who died," "Interest on BLS" score, and "Knowledge on BLS" score) were correlated to the intention to perform BLS.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on Basic Life Support Training Among Medical Students: An Experimental Study

“…BLS training is now an integral part of the foundation course for the first-year medical students as per the Competency-Based Medical Education curriculum (CBME) laid down by the National Medical Commission (NMC, erstwhile Medical Council of India). The knowledge about BLS is not greatly different among first-year medical students when compared to laypeople even in developed countries [ 12 - 13 ]. Under the aegis of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (ISA), the Indian Resuscitation Council (IRC) aims to train all the citizens of our country on BLS, especially school and college students.…”

A Short Intervention and an Interactive e-Learning Module to Motivate Medical and Dental Students to Enlist as First Responders: Implementation Study

“…Therefore, minor modifications were made to the second questionnaire for consistency purposes. Furthermore, in line with the previous study by Sturny et al [ 4 ], we computed a 6-point score focusing on “essential BLS-knowledge.” Finally, rather than using already-trained BLS instructors, we decided to specifically train senior medical students for that purpose.…”

“…After registration, the participants were asked to fill out a precourse questionnaire ( Table 2 and Multimedia Appendix 5 ) designed to gather demographic data and assess initial BLS-AED knowledge. The questionnaire was adapted from a study by Sturny et al [ 4 ] and based on the 2015 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations [ 6 ].…”

“…Previous studies have shown that first-year medical students feel that they would be expected to act in case of an emergency but feel unprepared to face OHCA situations [ 17 ]. This lack of confidence seems legitimate as their BLS knowledge is not much more advanced than that of the general population [ 4 ]. Giving these novice students the opportunity to gain solid knowledge about first aid procedures could increase their confidence, motivating them to join a first responder platform and thereby potentially increasing the rate of BLS maneuvers initiated prior to the arrival of professional rescuers.…”