Monitor feedback versus instructor feedback for post-pandemic basic life support training: a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Dental Training

Background:

• Dentists are crucial in providing basic life support (BLS) until emergency services arrive.
• Effective BLS training is vital for improving patient survival rates in dental settings.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adaptations in traditional in-person BLS training for dental students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of monitor feedback versus instructor feedback on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) simulator training for dental students.
• To evaluate optimal self-study methods for BLS during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• 40 dental students completed a pre-training CPR skills assessment.
• Participants were randomized into two groups: monitor feedback and instructor feedback.
• Post-training assessments evaluated changes in chest compression depth, rate, fraction, and tidal volume.

Main Results:

• Monitor feedback significantly improved chest compression depth compared to instructor feedback.
• Instructor feedback significantly improved chest compression rate compared to monitor feedback.
• Both feedback methods showed improvements, but with distinct effects on specific CPR components.

Conclusions:

• Optimal BLS training involves using monitor feedback for chest compression depth and instructor feedback for compression rate.
• Tailoring feedback types to specific CPR skills enhances training effectiveness.
• Further research is needed to validate these findings and refine self-study training methods.