App-based learning as an alternative for instructors in teaching basic life support to school children: a randomized...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical for survival during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
• School-based CPR education is often limited by resource and educator availability.
• Application-based learning offers a potential solution to improve CPR education accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of app-based self-teaching versus traditional instructor-led cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses.
• To evaluate CPR skills acquisition in adolescents using different educational modalities.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 165 participants aged 16-18 years.
• Intervention group: 40-minute tablet-based self-education CPR course.
• Control group: 40-minute instructor-led CPR course, using manikins and AED trainers.
• Pre- and post-training practical skill assessments based on ERC 2015 guidelines.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in overall CPR teaching effectiveness between app-based and instructor-led groups (p=0.304).
• Instructor-led group demonstrated significantly better performance in specific skills: airway check (p=0.018), requesting an automated external defibrillator (AED) (p<0.01), and patient defibrillation (p=0.002).

Conclusions:

• App-based CPR education presents a promising alternative to traditional methods.
• Further evaluation of new applications is necessary before widespread implementation in CPR training programs.
• While app-based learning is effective overall, instructor-led training may be superior for certain critical skills.