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NCT Number: NCT07581327

Data-Driven Lay First Responder Program in Cameroon

Cameroon experiences a high burden of injury-related morbidity and mortality and currently lacks a formal pre-hospital care system. Lay First Responder (LFR) programs have been implemented in several low-and middle-income countries to improve early injury care by training non-medical community members with high exposure to injury, such as commercial drivers, in basic first aid and safe transport of injured patients.

The study aims to implement and evaluate a data-driven, context-adapted LFR program in Cameroon using an implementation science approach. Quantitative trauma registry data and qualitative stakeholder interviews will be used to adapt the LFR curriculum to local injury patterns and care gaps. LFR program implementation will be associated with increased chances of survival on presentation and improved trauma outcomes.

The study is an interrupted time series evaluation of an LFR intervention where prehospital care rates and clinical patterns in the Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) patients at Limbe Regional hospital will be compared between historical pre-implementation controls and post-implementation of a data-driven lay first responder training program (the intervention).

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Key information

Conditions

Trauma Injury Wounds and Injuries

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Injury accounts for a substantial proportion of preventable mortality in Cameroon, where no organized prehospital emergency medical system currently exists. Evidence suggests that effective prehospital care could prevent up to 45% of injury-related deaths. Lay First Responder (LFR) programs represent a pragmatic strategy for improving early trauma care in resource-limited settings by training lay persons who are frequently present at injury scenes.

Despite promising early results in other settings, rigorous evaluation of LFR programs has been limited, particularly regarding their impact on patient-level outcomes. This study aim to test the contextual feasibility of the lay first responder program in Cameroon, after it has been successful in other Sub-Saharan nations.

This study seeks to address these gaps by implementing a data-driven LFR program informed by trauma registry analysis and stakeholder engagement, and by evaluating feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness within Cameroonian context.

The Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) gathers prospective data on patient demographics, injury characteristics, receipt of prehospital care, clinical findings and management, disposition and outcomes on patients admitted for injuries at ten trauma hospitals in Cameroon. Each hospital has a full-time research assistant overseen by an MPH-level field supervisor. Patients are followed from presentation through hospital discharge. This study will be implemented in Limbe municipality, Cameroon and will utilize data from the Limbe Regional Hospital site of the CTR.

The LFR intervention: An LFR curriculum adapted for the Cameroon context using a two-stage, mixed-methods approach (quantitative analysis of prospective CTR data and qualitative semi-structured interviews of target stakeholders) will be used to train LFR providers (commercial drivers and community members) over a 3-month training and transition period.

The primary metric of program feasibility will be percent change in the proportion of trauma patients receiving prehospital care in the post-intervention cohort compared to pre-intervention historical controls. The secondary outcomes for program effectiveness will be injury severity-stratified percentage change in the proportion of CTR patients presenting with normal vital signs (systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate) in the post-intervention cohort compared to the pre-intervention cohort.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Trauma patients presenting to Limbe Regional Hospital and enrolled in the Cameroon Trauma Registry

Exclusion criteria

  • Trauma patients not included in the Cameroon trauma registry at Limbe regional hospital.

Treatment and study plan

Lay First Responder (LFR) training

Behavioral

Training of LFR providers using a data driven, pretested curriculum adapted for the Cameroon context over a 3-month training and transition period.

Primary outcomes

  1. Prehospital care rate

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.

    Proportion of hospitalized trauma patients who received prehospital care prior to arrival at participating hospitals, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Systolic blood pressure at presentation

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.

    Median systolic blood pressure (mmHg) measured at hospital presentation among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts

  2. Respiratory rate greater than 8 and less than 20 breaths per minute

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post-implementation period

    Percentage change in the proportion of CTR patients presenting with respiratory rate greater than 8 and less than 20 breaths per minute compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

  3. Proportion of trauma patients with heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.

    Percent change in the proportion of trauma patients with heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

  4. In-hospital mortality

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post-implementation period.

    All-cause in-hospital mortality among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

  5. 24-hour mortality

    Time frame: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.

    All-cause mortality within 24 hours of hospital presentation among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

  6. Blood transfusion

    Time frame: From enrollment through 18-month post implementation period.

    Proportion of injured patients receiving blood transfusion during hospitalization, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

  7. Operative intervention

    Time frame: From enrollment through 18-month post implementation period.

    Proportion of injured patients requiring surgical intervention during hospitalization, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Isaac Obeng-Gyasi, MBChB, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

202-500-4230

S.Ariane Christie, BA, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

808-430-9678

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sabrinah Christie

Other

Collaborators

  • Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health
  • University of Buea
  • University of California, Los Angeles

Registry information

Official study title

Implementation of a Data-Driven Pre-Hospital Lay First Responder Program in Cameroon

Acronym: K-LFR Project

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
May 12, 2026
Registry last updated
May 12, 2026

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.

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