Impact of blended learning on manual defibrillator's use: A simulation-based randomized trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background:

• Blended learning, combining face-to-face and e-learning, has not been validated for manual defibrillator training.
• Effective manual defibrillator use is critical in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of blended learning versus traditional face-to-face learning for teaching manual defibrillator skills.
• To assess skill retention of pediatric emergency and critical care providers over two months.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving pediatric emergency and critical care providers.
• Participants were assigned to either blended learning or face-to-face learning sessions on manual defibrillator use.
• Skills were assessed in simulated pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest scenarios immediately after training and two months later.

Main Results:

• Blended learning showed a trend towards fewer total errors compared to face-to-face learning (median 2 vs. 3 errors).
• Both training methods demonstrated insufficient skill retention over two months without refresher sessions.
• A higher number of errors were observed in both groups during the two-month follow-up assessment.

Conclusions:

• Blended learning is a viable method for teaching manual defibrillator proficiency.
• While blended learning may reduce initial errors, ongoing training is necessary to maintain skills in pediatric emergency care.