Peers Vs Professionals in Basic Life Support Training

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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An Evaluation of Peer-led basic life support training course compared with professional-led course in a limited resource environment; A randomized controlled trial

Detailed Description
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Peer training has been identified as a useful tool for delivering undergraduate training in basic life support (BLS) which is fundamental as an initial response in cases of emergency. This study aimed to (1) Evaluate the efficacy of peer-led model in basic life support training among medical students in their first three years of study, compared to professional-led training and (2) To assess the efficacy of the course program and students' satisfaction of peer-led training. A randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors will be conducted on 72 medical students from the pre-clinical years (1st to 3rd years in Syria) at Syrian Private University. Students will be randomly assigned to peer-led or to professional-led training group for one-day-course of basic life support skills. Analysis will be done on students who underwent checklist based assessment using objective structured clinical examination design (OSCE) (practical assessment of BLS skills) and answered BLS knowledge checkpoint-questionnaire.

Official Title
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Peers Versus Professional Training of Basic Life Support in Syria: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Basic Life Support Training Course

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Basic life support training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Medical student from 1st, 2nd and third year at Syrian Private University. Sign the consent form. Exclusion Criteria: presence of any health problems preventing students from doing physical exercise. any serious acute or chronic illness (infectious, psychological, physical). scheduling conflict between the date of the BLS course and other faculty's classes or exams. missing the course or the assessment for any reason. refusing to sign the consent and having any prior experience in BLS skills (previously trained on BLS).
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: A randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors on medical students from the pre-clinical years (1st to 3rd years in Syria) at Syrian Private University. Students are randomly assigned to peer-led or to professional-led training group for one-day-course of basic life support skills.
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Peers' group<br>36 Medical students are allocated randomly to Peers' group where they are trained on BLS skills by senior students. Four students from the latest three years of study in medical schools in Syria (4th, 5th, and 6th) are randomly selected and enrolled to be instructors for basic life support training course to transfer the resuscitation skills to medical students from pre-clinical years. | Other: Basic life support training<br>* A course design was made to be consistent with ERC guidelines with local modifications made by emergency professionals in duration, instructor-to-trainee ratio, course materials, methods to deliver these materials theoretically, and the type of the manikin used to practice CPR. One-day-course consisting of 75, 20, 20, 20 minutes for theoretical BLS, chocking, recovery position, the practical representation of BLS scenario respectively followed by 40-minute practical training on BLS skills for each subgroup. Both arms of the study follow the same timeline and no extra time is given to any group. Same manikins were used for the training and the assessment. On the day of the experiment students in each arm are divided into 4 subgroups of maximum 9 students, each led by two trainers of BLS skills with a maximum ratio of 2 instructors to 9 students per group.<br>|
| Experimental: Professionals' group<br>36 students are allocated randomly to professionals' group where they are trained on BLS skills by professional trainers in emergency. Four professionals (2 emergency doctors, cardiologist and anesthesiologist) are leading training to the control group to deliver the basic life support training course with the same duration and content as the intervention group. | Other: Basic life support training<br>* A course design was made to be consistent with ERC guidelines with local modifications made by emergency professionals in duration, instructor-to-trainee ratio, course materials, methods to deliver these materials theoretically, and the type of the manikin used to practice CPR. One-day-course consisting of 75, 20, 20, 20 minutes for theoretical BLS, chocking, recovery position, the practical representation of BLS scenario respectively followed by 40-minute practical training on BLS skills for each subgroup. Both arms of the study follow the same timeline and no extra time is given to any group. Same manikins were used for the training and the assessment. On the day of the experiment students in each arm are divided into 4 subgroups of maximum 9 students, each led by two trainers of BLS skills with a maximum ratio of 2 instructors to 9 students per group.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BLS practical skills | A practical simulated scenario assessment using a checklist based evaluation in objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) design. The checklist is constructed in accordance to European resuscitation council (ERC) guideline. Students should perform each point correctly to pass the assessment (1- Safe approach, 2- call for help, 3- opening airway, 4-checking cardiopulmonary situation, 5- call ambulance, 6- CPR with effective depth, 7-rate and 8-position, 9-rescue breaths). | Training and assessment were held at the same day of the experiment for both groups, 1) within 24 hours of providing the bls training course. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BLS knowledge questionnaire | a 20-item questionnaire with 3 checkpoints per item (60-point-scale) derived from ERC materials after testing the applicability of the questionnaire by a pilot study. | Training and assessment were held at the same day of the experiment for both groups. 1) within 24 hours of providing the bls training course. | 
| Students' evaluation of BLS course survey | Students' reported outcomes using American Heart Association (AHA) survey of BLS course evaluation. This survey aims to investigate students' satisfaction and their opinions about the course. | Training and assessment were held at the same day of the experiment for both groups. 1) within 24 hours of providing the bls training course. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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crisis, Basic life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, medical undergraduate students, randomized controlled trial.