Self-learning vs Instructor-led Learning in BLS

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Status: Completed

Conditions: Basic Life Support

Treatments: Other: Self-learning; Other: Instructor-led learning

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03141528

Req-2016-00071

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates whether there is a difference in the BLS skills in first year medical students directly after training and three months later, when randomly assigned to self-learning versus instructor-led training courses.

Full description

This is a randomized controlled trial investigating whether self-learning versus instructor-led learning results in the same BLS skills in first year medical students directly after training and three months later.

When participants attend the "Erweiterte Erste Hilfe für Studierende der Humanmedizin" they will receive a short introduction about the study. The investigators will invite all first year students to participate in the study. As the study is voluntarily, participants need to sign a written informed consent. After that, the investigators will randomize the students to either group A or Group B. Group A will train their technical CPR-skills with supervision by a tutor (either general practitioner or medical student, all trained in CPR teaching) and group B will train without supervision. The participants in group B will not be allowed to communicate with each other during the training and they will be prevented from watching each other. The training will take about 30 minutes for each group. Directly after the training each group will be tested and the printed report form from the Laerdal Skill Reporter will be obtained for each participant. In the test the students will perform CPR in a simulated scenario as a first responder. The scenario is: "A male person has collapsed at the railway station." The participant should start CPR as learned in the training. During the CPR a departmental research fellow will observe the study participants and record BLS/AED actions on a scoring sheet.

The investigators will record three cycles of two minutes CPR (with five times 30:2 compression : ventilation intervals, as recommended by the current international resuscitation guidelines). During the three cycles an AED will be delivered and the study participant has to apply the AED and deliver a shock - after three cycles the study terminates.

After the BLS/AED competence testing, both groups will continue the rest of their first aid course together and the first part of the study ends. Three months later, the investigators will repeat the same scenario over the same time interval and record the same parameters. At the end of the second testing, a short feedback will be provided on the BLS/AED competence and further practice will be provided to the students to improve their CPR competence. From this point forward no further data will be collected.

Enrollment: 240 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• First year medical students at the University of Bern participating in the course "Erweiterte Erste Hilfe für Studierende der Humanmedizin" with written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Students with professional BLS-experience, unable to perform BLS, or missing informed consent will be excluded.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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240 participants in 2 patient groups

Instructor-led learning

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will train their technical CPR-skills with supervision by a tutor (either general practitioner or medical student, all trained in CPR teaching)

Treatment:

Other: Instructor-led learning

Self-learning

Experimental group

Description:

This group will Train alone without supervision and without communicating with the other participants.

Treatment:

Other: Self-learning