JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Basic life support (BLS) significantly improves survival and neurological outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims. However, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rates vary widely worldwide, reaching only 40% in Geneva, Switzerland. The European Resuscitation Council’s "Kids Save Lives" statement advocates for integrating BLS education into mandatory school curricula to improve bystander CPR rates and thus OHCA outcomes. Training medical students as BLS instructors could help address the shortage of qualified instructors needed to implement school-based BLS programs in primary schools.

Objective:

The objectives of this pilot study were to assess medical students' willingness to become BLS instructors for primary school classes and evaluate the impact of their teaching on schoolchildren’s immediate knowledge acquisition and self-confidence.

Methods:

This pilot implementation study was conducted in Geneva, Switzerland. A team of specialized physicians and senior medical students presented the project to second- and third-year medical students during their emergency skills training curriculum. Students were selected to participate after completing an online questionnaire. Selected students underwent instructor training and certification, enabling them to deliver a BLS course in a primary school class. Participating 7th-grade schoolchildren completed a questionnaire designed to assess immediate knowledge acquisition and confidence. The primary outcome was the proportion of medical students interested in becoming BLS instructors. Secondary outcomes included children's mean knowledge score and confidence in calling the emergency phone number. The likelihood of becoming an instructor according to demographic characteristics, prior experiences, and personal interests was assessed. The association of age, school socioeconomic status, and prior first aid training with knowledge and confidence outcomes was also examined.

Results:

Among 325 eligible students, 87 (26.8%) expressed willingness to fully participate in this program. The 16 selected students successfully completed the instructor training and delivered courses in 16 primary school classes. No significant predictors of willingness were identified. A total of 295/361 (81.7%) children completed the post-course questionnaires. Knowledge acquisition was high, with a mean score of 5.4 ± 1.1 out of 7. High proportions of correct responses were observed for most BLS concepts, except for breathing assessment and recovery position indications. Overall, 78% of children reported confidence in calling emergency services. No significant predictors of knowledge or confidence were found.

Conclusions:

Junior medical students can effectively deliver BLS training to school children and represent a valuable workforce for school-based BLS programs. However, sustainable scale-up will require involving other instructors. Further studies should assess the feasibility of large-scale implementation.