Improving the efficiency of advanced life support training: a randomized, controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Over 1.5 million healthcare professionals annually undertake advanced life support (ALS) training.
• Evaluating novel training modalities is crucial for effective and efficient skill acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of a blended e-learning and instructor-led approach versus traditional instructor-led training for ALS.
• To assess if blended ALS training yields comparable outcomes to conventional methods.

Main Methods:

• An open-label, noninferiority randomized trial involving 3732 healthcare professionals across 31 ALS centers.
• Participants were assigned to either a 1-day blended e-learning course or a 2-day conventional course.
• Primary outcome was performance in a cardiac arrest simulation test; secondary outcomes included knowledge, skills, and resource use.

Main Results:

• The blended e-learning group had a lower pass rate in cardiac arrest simulations (74.5%) compared to the conventional group (80.2%).
• Knowledge and skill assessments, as well as final pass rates after remediation, were similar between the two groups.
• The blended approach significantly reduced costs, with electronic ALS training costing $438 per participant versus $935 for conventional training.

Conclusions:

• While blended e-learning for ALS training shows potential for cost reduction and comparable knowledge retention, it may result in a slightly lower performance in critical simulation tests.
• A significant proportion (24%) of participants did not attend the courses, highlighting potential challenges in implementation.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the impact on patient outcomes.