Barriers and facilitators for interaction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation teams: a qualitative study

Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency whose outcome depends on immediate interventions, known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The quality of these interventions hinges on the performance and communication of the resuscitation team. Therefore, this study aimed to explore factors affecting interactions among CPR team members.

This qualitative study employed a content analysis approach conducted in Iran over a 12-month period from December 2023 to December 2024. The study population included all CPR team members at academic medical centers. Researchers used purposive sampling and continued recruitment until data saturation. Data collection involved conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews; all data were analyzed using MAXQDA software (version 20).

Data analysis revealed one main category entitled "The Complexity of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Interactions," along with 5 general categories and 11 subcategories: "Consensus in Resuscitation" (including "Pre-resuscitation Coordination" and "Post-resuscitation Debriefing"), "Communication Clarity" (comprising "Regular Communication" and "Irregular Communication"), "Interaction in Team Rotation" (with "Normal Rotation" and "Abnormal Rotation"), "Personal Conflicts" (featuring "Pre-Resuscitation Conflicts" and "Intra-Resuscitation Conflicts"), and "Team Leadership Style" (encompassing "Autocratic Leadership," "Laissez-faire Leadership," and "Participatory Leadership").

The results demonstrated that CPR team interactions were influenced by multiple factors. Through careful planning to enhance facilitating factors - including consensus in resuscitation, regular communication, normal rotation, and participatory leadership - while addressing inhibiting factors - such as irregular communication, personal conflicts, abnormal rotation, and autocratic leadership - we can optimize team interactions to improve CPR outcomes.