Chain of Call: Learning How to Effectively Communicate with Emergency Medical Services at School

Area of Science:

• Pediatric emergency preparedness
• Public health education
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training

Background:

• Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests frequently occur at home.
• Family members are crucial in initiating emergency medical services (EMS) calls.
• School-based training can empower children to respond effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based interactive training program.
• To assess children's learning outcomes regarding EMS calls.
• To identify specific skills requiring further development.

Main Methods:

• A simulation study involving 1341 schoolchildren aged 6-14 years.
• Basic life support (BLS) training integrated into physical education classes.
• Evaluation using a simulated emergency scenario and standardized checklist.

Main Results:

• Over 90% correctly recognized emergencies and dialed the national emergency number.
• Less than 50% successfully used the hands-free function, with younger children struggling.
• 99% provided their name, and 82% their address during the simulated call.

Conclusions:

• Short, interactive BLS training effectively teaches children to initiate EMS calls for cardiac arrest.
• Physical education teachers can deliver this vital training.
• Reinforcement is needed for hands-free operation and accurate address reporting.