Basic Life Support Knowledge among Junior Medical and Dental Students, Communication Channels, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and objective: The prognosis of cardiac arrest victims strongly depends on the prompt provision of Basic Life Support (BLS) maneuvers. Medical students should therefore be proficient in this area, but many lack essential BLS knowledge. The goal of this prospective, closed web-based study was to determine whether a short intervention designed to motivate first-year medical students to follow a blended BLS course could lead to a significant improvement in BLS knowledge in the following year. Materials and Methods: A fully automated web-based questionnaire was administered to second-year medical students one year after they had been given the opportunity of following a blended BLS course (e-learning and practice session). The primary outcome was the difference, on a 6-question score assessing essential BLS knowledge, between these students and those from the 2020 promotion since the latter had not been offered the optional BLS course. Results: The score was similar between the two study periods (3.3 ± 0.8 in 2022 vs. 3.0 ± 1.0 in 2020, p = 0.114), but no firm conclusion could be drawn since participation was much lower than expected (17.9% in 2022 vs. 43.7% in 2020, p &lt; 0.001). Therefore, a second questionnaire was created and administered to understand the reasons underlying this low participation. Conclusions: There was a lack of improvement in BLS knowledge in second-year medical students after the introduction of an optional introductory BLS course in the first-year curriculum, but the limited participation rate precludes drawing definitive conclusions. Ineffective communication appears to be the cause of this low participation rate, but a lack of motivation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be ruled out. Corrective actions should be considered to enhance communication, restore motivation, and ultimately improve BLS knowledge among medical and dental students.</p

A Short Intervention Followed by an Interactive E-Learning Module to Motivate Medical Students to Enlist as First Responders: Protocol for a Prospective Implementation Study

Background: In Geneva, Switzerland, basic life support (BLS) maneuvers are provided in only 40% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) cases. As OHCA outcomes are markedly improved when BLS maneuvers are swiftly applied, a “first-responder” system was introduced in 2019. When emergency dispatchers identify a possible OHCA, first responders receive an alert message on a specific app (Save-a-Life) installed on their smartphones. Those nearest to the victim and immediately available are sent the exact location of the intervention. First-year medical students only have limited knowledge regarding BLS procedures but might nevertheless need to take care of OHCA victims. Medical students responding to out-of-hospital emergencies are off-duty in half of these situations, and offering junior medical students the opportunity to enlist as first responders might therefore not only improve OHCA outcomes but also foster a greater recognition of the role medical students can hold in our society.Objective: Our aim is to determine whether providing first-year medical students with a short intervention followed by an interactive e-learning module can motivate them to enlist as first responders. Methods: After obtaining the approval of the regional ethics committee and of the vice-dean for undergraduate education of the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine (UGFM), 2 senior medical students will present the project to their first-year colleagues at the beginning of a lecture. First-year students will then be provided with a link to an interactive e-learning module which has been designed according to the Swiss Resuscitation Council’s first aid guidelines. After answering a first questionnaire and completing the module, students will be able to register for practice sessions. Those attending and successfully completing these sessions will receive a training certificate which will enable them to enlist as first responders. The primary outcome will be the proportion of first-year medical students enlisting as first responders at the end of the study period. Secondary outcomes will be the proportion of first-year medical students electing to register on the platform, to begin the e-learning module, to complete the e-learning module, to register for practice sessions, to attend the practice sessions, and to obtain a certificate. The reasons given by medical students for refusing to participate will be analyzed. We will also assess how comfortable junior medical students would feel to be integrated into the first responders system at the end of the training program and whether it affects the registration rate. Results: The regional ethics committee (Req-2020-01143) and the UGFM vice-dean for undergraduate education have given their approval to the realization of this study, which is scheduled to begin in January 2021.Conclusions: This study should determine whether a short intervention followed by an interactive e-learning module can motivate first-year medical students to enlist as first responders.</p

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

Background: Prompt and proficient basic life support (BLS) maneuvers are essential to increasing the odds of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, significant time can elapse before the arrival of professional rescuers. To decrease these delays, many countries have developed first responder networks. These networks are composed of BLS-certified lay or professional rescuers who can be dispatched by emergency medical communication centers to take care of those who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Many systems are, however, limited by a relatively low number of active first responders, and first-year medical and dental students may represent an almost untapped pool of potential rescuers. On top of providing an enhanced BLS coverage to the population, this could also help medical students be better prepared to their future role as certified health care providers and address societal expectations regarding health care students. Objective: Our objective was to describe the impact of a short motivational intervention followed by a blended BLS course (e-learning and practice session) designed to motivate first-year medical and dental students to enlist as first responders. Methods: A short, web-based, motivational intervention presenting this project took place, and first-year University of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine students were provided with a link to the study platform. Those who agreed to participate were redirected to a demographic questionnaire before registering on the platform. The participants were then asked to answer a second questionnaire designed to determine their baseline knowledge prior to following an interactive e-learning module. Upon completion, a web-based booking form enabling them to register for a 1-hour practice session was displayed. These sessions were held by senior medical students who had been trained and certified as BLS instructors. The participants who attended these practice sessions were asked to answer a postcourse questionnaire before receiving the certificate enabling them to register as first responders. Results: Out of the 529 first-year students registered at University of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine on January 14, 2021, 190 (35.9%) initially agreed to participate. Moreover, 102 (19.3%) attended the practice sessions, and 48 (9.1%) had completed all training and enlisted as first responders on the dedicated platform, Save a Life, at 6 months (July 14, 2021). Postcourse confidence in resuscitation skills was associated with a higher likelihood of registering as first responder (P=.03). No association was found between prior BLS knowledge and the probability of registering to a practice session (P=.59), of obtaining a course completion certificate (P=.29), or of enlisting as first responder (P=.56). Conclusions: This study shows that a motivational intervention associated with a short BLS course can convince medical students to enlist as first responders. Further studies are needed to understand the rather low proportion of medical students finally registering as first responders. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/24664</p