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Improved CPR training methods needed to increase survival rates
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Addressing existing knowledge gaps in resuscitation education science may lead to an increase in survival rates, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
“Despite ongoing advances in resuscitation science, cardiac arrest survival rates remain suboptimal for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings,” Adam Cheng, MD, associate professor at the University of Calgary, Alberta Children’s Hospital, and colleagues wrote in the statement. “Although millions of lay providers and health care providers are trained in resuscitation every year, major gaps exist in the delivery of optimal clinical care (eg, poor-quality CPR or no CPR in the out-of-hospital setting) for individuals with cardiac arrest.”
According to the AHA, the scientific statement marks the first time that resuscitation specialists have applied education best practices to resuscitation training, offering consolidated guidance to CPR instructors, educators and others who develop relevant content. It is applicable to all resuscitation training programs, from those that train medical professionals to those that train bystanders.
According to the statement, improved training comes down to eight key learning elements:
- mastery learning and deliberate practice, ie, practicing until learners demonstrate mastery of skills;
- conducting shorter, more frequent learning sessions;
- contextual learning through use of real-world training experiences recognized by learners;
- feedback and debriefing, which provides structured opportunities for reflection and feedback;
- measuring competency throughout a course with a variety of tools;
- innovative educational strategies, including exploration of gamification, social and digital platforms to make learning “stick”;
- continuous coaching and training of instructors; and
- knowledge translation and implementation, including localizing programs to fit learners’ needs.
“Poor CPR quality is preventable. Educational activities are not consistently achieving their intended outcomes, as proven by significant decay in provider skills within months after training,” Cheng said in a press release. “If we want to move the needle on cardiac arrest survival rates in the next 2 years, then we must focus on improving the quality of resuscitation education and knowledge translation efforts. We identified an opportunity to build on the current scientific process in order to close the gap between desired and actual performance in resuscitation events — both for lay providers and healthcare professionals.” – by Dave Quaile
Disclosures: Cheng reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full statement for the other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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