The Impact of Medical Students Teaching Basic Life Support to Laypersons

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Basic life support (BLS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training are crucial for improving outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac events.
• Layperson BLS skills and confidence are critical for immediate response during cardiac emergencies.
• Medical students' emergency medicine education can be enhanced through practical teaching experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of medical students providing BLS training to laypersons.
• To assess the effect of this training on laypersons' BLS skills and confidence.
• To determine if teaching BLS enhances medical students' own confidence and motivation.

Main Methods:

• Medical students delivered BLS/CPR training to laypersons as part of their emergency medicine curriculum.
• Layperson confidence and skills in BLS components (response check, compressions, AED use) were assessed post-training.
• A questionnaire compared confidence and motivation levels in students who taught BLS versus those who did not.

Main Results:

• Laypersons showed significant increases in confidence for checking response, performing chest compressions, and using AEDs after training.
• Medical students who provided BLS training reported significantly higher confidence and motivation in BLS understanding, skills, and willingness to perform.
• BLS instruction by medical students correlated with improved layperson CPR accuracy and confidence in managing cardiac arrest scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Medical students teaching BLS to laypersons enhances laypersons' CPR accuracy and confidence.
• Teaching BLS provides medical students with valuable experience, improving their understanding, confidence, and motivation in BLS skills.
• Integrating BLS instruction into medical education offers a dual benefit for both trainees and the community.