Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04478786

Ambulance Crews' Experiences of Using a Mechanical Chest Compression Device.

Should a person have a cardiac arrest (where their heart stops beating) they require treatment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This includes providing chest compressions. Traditionally these compressions are provided by hand but mechanical chest compression devices (MCCD) have been investigated for use in out of hospital resuscitation attempts.

Research trials recruiting human participants have concluded recently. They all found no difference in survival outcomes when MCCD and manual compressions were compared.

Despite this, the latest expert review on MCCD suggests that MCCD can be a reasonable alternative to high quality manual compressions when these cannot be provided. MCCD continue to be used by Specialists in the local ambulance service and historically by those recruiting patients to a national multi centre trial of MCCD. There is another, as yet under-investigated element, and that is of ambulance crews' experiences of using such devices. Therefore it is a reasonable topic to investigate.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Resuscitation

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 8NY, United Kingdom

About this study

This study will invite local United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) operational ambulance crews to participate in a 1-2 hour online focus group discussion (a collective group discussion) about their experiences of using MCCD. The participants will be any operational ambulance crew member, employed by the local ambulance Trust and who had experience of using any type of MCCD. The focus groups will be audio recorded; participants will be aware of this when they choose to participate.

The aim of this research is to collect and report ambulance crews' experiences of using mechanical chest compression devices for out of hospital resuscitation attempts.

Ultimately there may of course be benefits for patients by exploring whether MCCD play a part in out of hospital resuscitations. Funding has been offered by a manufacturer one of the types of MCCD; they have had no involvement in the design or analysis of the study.

Once transcribed, the data will be analysed manually. The content of each focus group will be coded and then each participants' individual responses will be coded, first using open coding, then focused coding to identify emergent themes, before concluding with the categories that have been identified. The constant comparison method of data analysis will be used.

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • aged 18 or over
  • an employee of the local ambulance service
  • employed as an operational ambulance crew member, irrespective of title
  • to have experienced an out of hospital resuscitation where MCCD was used, irrespective of the type of device or their level of involvement.

Exclusion criteria

  • not an employee of the local ambulance service
  • have no experience of using a mechanical chest compression device at an out of hospital resuscitation
  • the participant is unwilling to provide consent to participate
  • the participant is unwilling to provide consent to be audio recorded.

Treatment and study plan

Focus group discussion

Other

There is no intervention. This is a qualitative piece of work only.

Primary outcomes

  1. Collect and report ambulance crews' experiences of using MCCDs for out-of-hospital resuscitation attempts.

    Time frame: 2 hours

    The transcribed discussions will be coded and then themes emerging from the data identified and developed. To do this I will use a constant comparison method of analysis. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed for.

Other outcomes

  1. Does the use of MCCDs have any effect on, or facilitate, the team leader role at an out-of-hospital resuscitation attempt

    Time frame: 2 hours

    The transcribed discussions will be coded and then themes emerging from the data identified and developed. To do this I will use a constant comparison method of analysis. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed for.

  2. Does providing mechanical versus manual chest compressions have an effect on how ambulance crews feel physically and emotionally after an out-of-hospital resuscitation attempt.

    Time frame: 2 hours

    The transcribed discussions will be coded and then themes emerging from the data identified and developed. To do this I will use a constant comparison method of analysis. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed for.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northumbria University

Other

Collaborators

  • Jolife AB

Registry information

Official study title

What Are Ambulance Crews' Experiences of Using a Mechanical Chest Compression Device for Out-of-hospital Resuscitation? A Constructivist Qualitative Study Utilising Online Focus Groups

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jul 21, 2020
Registry last updated
Oct 14, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.