Using a Mobile Phone Application Versus Telephone Assistance During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Comparative Study

Getting ON-TRAC, a team-centred design study of a reflexivity aid to support resuscitation teams' information sharing

BACKGROUND

Effective information sharing is crucial for emergency care teams to maintain an accurate shared mental model. This study describes the design, simulation-based testing and implementation of a team reflexivity aid to facilitate in-action information sharing during resuscitations.

METHODS

A five-phase team-centred iterative design process was employed. Phase 1 involved a literature review to identify in-action cognitive aids. Phase 2 focused on conceptual design, followed by simulation-based testing and modifications in phase 3. Implementation through simulation-based user training occurred in phase 4 at a large non-university teaching hospital. Phase 5 evaluated the aid among resuscitation team members in the emergency department after one year.

RESULTS

The phase 1 literature review identified 58 cognitive aids, with only 10 designed as 'team aid'. Studies using team information screens found increase team and task performance in simulation-based environments, with no evaluations in authentic workplaces. Phase 2 resulted in a three-section team reflexivity aid, iteratively modified in three rounds of simulation-based testing (N = 30 groups) phase 3 resulted in a team reflexivity aid containing five sections: resuscitation times and intervals, patient history, interventions on a longitudinal timeline, differential diagnosis and a quick review section. Phase 4 consisted of reflexivity aid user training with simulation-based education (N = 60 sessions) and the creation of a digital entry form to store data in the patient's electronic medical record. Evaluation after one year in phase 5, (N = 84) showed perceived improvements in communication (3.82 ± 0.77), documentation (4.25 ± 0.66), cognitive load (3.94 ± 0.68), and team performance (3.80 ± 0.76) on a 5-point Likert scale. Thematic analysis of user feedback identified improvements in both teamwork and taskwork. Teamwork enhancements included better situation awareness, communication and team participation. Taskwork improvements were seen in drug administration and clinical reasoning.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the successful development and implementation of a Team Reflexivity Aid for Cardiac arrests using simulation methodology. This task-focused team tool improved perceived team situation awareness, communication, and overall performance. The research highlights the interplay between task- and teamwork in healthcare settings, underscoring the potential for taskwork-oriented tools to benefit team dynamics. These findings warrant further investigation into team-supportive interventions and their impact on resuscitation outcomes.

Enhancing the Chain of Survival: The Role of Smartphone Applications in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

This review explores the role of smartphone applications in providing real-time guidance for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) practices and highlights their potential to improve CPR quality among laypersons. A narrative literature review was conducted on the effectiveness of mobile CPR applications for smartphones. Studies published between 2014 and 2024 were included to ensure that new technological advances were examined. Our findings revealed that guided CPR applications significantly improve most critical parameters for efficacious resuscitation. Application users demonstrated that they achieved performance comparable to or even better than CPR-certified individuals. However, these tools have limitations, mostly related to familiarity, which may result in a delay in activating the application and, therefore, in initiating CPR. While smartphone applications are promising tools for enhancing bystander CPR, their integration into emergency medical response requires careful consideration. To fully take advantage of these applications, they should be incorporated into public health campaigns and standard CPR training. This would be even more successful if the application's functionality were standardized across different regions. Our research indicates that a combination of education and technology will likely play a major role in CPR training in the future, improving the efficacy and accessibility of life-saving measures. Smartphone applications could greatly improve the chain of survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) events. The design and accessibility of these applications as well as the integration of these applications with current emergency response frameworks should be the main areas of future research.

2021 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; First Aid Task Forces; and the COVID-19 Working Group

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the fifth annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations; a more comprehensive review was done in 2020. This latest summary addresses the most recently published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task force science experts. Topics covered by systematic reviews in this summary include resuscitation topics of video-based dispatch systems; head-up cardiopulmonary resuscitation; early coronary angiography after return of spontaneous circulation; cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the prone patient; cord management at birth for preterm and term infants; devices for administering positive-pressure ventilation at birth; family presence during neonatal resuscitation; self-directed, digitally based basic life support education and training in adults and children; coronavirus disease 2019 infection risk to rescuers from patients in cardiac arrest; and first aid topics, including cooling with water for thermal burns, oral rehydration for exertional dehydration, pediatric tourniquet use, and methods of tick removal. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the quality of the evidence, according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations or good practice statements. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in Justification and Evidence-to-Decision Framework Highlights sections. In addition, the task forces listed priority knowledge gaps for further research.

2021 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; First Aid Task Forces; and the COVID-19 Working Group

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the fifth annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations; a more comprehensive review was done in 2020. This latest summary addresses the most recently published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task force science experts. Topics covered by systematic reviews in this summary include resuscitation topics of video-based dispatch systems; head-up cardiopulmonary resuscitation; early coronary angiography after return of spontaneous circulation; cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the prone patient; cord management at birth for preterm and term infants; devices for administering positive-pressure ventilation at birth; family presence during neonatal resuscitation; self-directed, digitally based basic life support education and training in adults and children; coronavirus disease 2019 infection risk to rescuers from patients in cardiac arrest; and first aid topics, including cooling with water for thermal burns, oral rehydration for exertional dehydration, pediatric tourniquet use, and methods of tick removal. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the quality of the evidence, according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations or good practice statements. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in Justification and Evidence-to-Decision Framework Highlights sections. In addition, the task forces listed priority knowledge gaps for further research.

Evaluating Quality, Usability, Evidence-Based Content, and Gamification Features in Mobile Learning Apps Designed to Teach Children Basic Life Support: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis

BACKGROUND

Globally, 3.7 million people die of sudden cardiac death annually. Following the World Health Organization endorsement of the Kids Save Lives statements, initiatives to train school-age children in basic life support (BLS) have been widespread. Mobile phone apps, combined with gamification, represent an opportunity for including mobile learning (m-learning) in teaching schoolchildren BLS as an additional teaching method; however, the quality of these apps is questionable.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to systematically evaluate the quality, usability, evidence-based content, and gamification features (GFs) of commercially available m-learning apps for teaching guideline-directed BLS knowledge and skills to school-aged children.

METHODS

We searched the Google Play Store and Apple iOS App Store using multiple terms (eg, cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] or BLS). Apps meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated by 15 emergency health care professionals using the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale and System Usability Scale. We modified a five-finger mnemonic for teaching schoolchildren BLS and reviewed the apps' BLS content using standardized criteria based on three CPR guidelines. GFs in the apps were evaluated using a gamification taxonomy.

RESULTS

Of the 1207 potentially relevant apps, only 6 (0.49%) met the inclusion criteria. Most apps were excluded because the content was not related to teaching schoolchildren BLS. The mean total scores for the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale and System Usability Scale score were 3.2/5 points (95% CI 3.0-3.4) and 47.1/100 points (95% CI 42.1-52.1), respectively. Half of the apps taught hands-only CPR, whereas the other half also included ventilation. All the apps indicated when to start chest compressions, and only 1 app taught BLS using an automated external defibrillator. Gamification was well integrated into the m-learning apps for teaching schoolchildren BLS, whereas the personal and fictional, educational, and performance gamification groups represented most GFs.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving the quality and usability of BLS content in apps and combining them with GFs can offer educators novel m-learning tools to teach schoolchildren BLS skills.