Using geographic information systems to identify Stop the Bleed training locations

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Epidemiology
• Trauma care

Background:

• The Stop the Bleed (STB) Campaign aims to reduce preventable deaths from hemorrhage by training community members in bleeding control.
• A key challenge is delivering STB training to populations most likely to witness traumatic bleeding events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if Geographic Information System (GIS) software can identify optimal locations for STB training in high-risk communities.
• To assess the willingness of trained individuals in these communities to respond to bleeding emergencies.

Main Methods:

• Publicly available shooting incident data were analyzed using GIS to identify spatial clusters (hot spots) of violent events in an urban area.
• Potential community training sites were mapped and colocalized with identified hot spots.
• A STB training course was conducted at a selected community center in a high-risk area, with participants assessed for skills, knowledge, and attitudes pre- and post-training, and at 1- and 12-month follow-ups.

Main Results:

• Fifteen community members received STB training.
• Significant improvements in skills and knowledge were observed immediately post-training and were sustained at 12 months.
• Attitudes towards responding to life-threatening bleeding became more positive post-training and remained favorable at follow-up.
• No participants reported using a tourniquet in a real-world scenario within 12 months of training.

Conclusions:

• GIS is a valuable tool for identifying STB training sites in high-risk communities with receptive populations.
• The training resulted in lasting improvements in knowledge and positive attitudes regarding hemorrhage control.
• Further research is needed to address barriers to community training site participation and to optimize GIS utilization for targeted training efforts.