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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02998723

Early or Late Booster for Basic Life Support?

Attrition of skills after basic life support (BLS) training is common. Psychology studies have established that for basic memory recall tasks, spaced learning strategies improve retention. Spaced learning is often organized as a refresher or 'booster' course after initial training. This study aims to investigate if this principle holds true for BLS skills, which require rapid memory recall and efficient deployment of procedural skills while under time pressure.

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Key information

Conditions

Basic Life Support

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The Ottawa Hospital

Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y4E9, Canada

About this study

Novice laypeople who have not received BLS training in the 6 months leading up to the date of participation will be recruited from the University of Ottawa and the general public. Participants will be randomized into one of three groups: early booster, late booster, or no booster (control). Currently, no booster is the educational standard. The early booster group will receive a booster at 3 weeks, the late booster at 2 months, and no booster for the control. All participants will undergo BLS training, an immediate post-test, and a retention post-test at 4 months. Post-tests involve a simulated cardiac arrest scenario. Raters will be blinded to the group allocation and simulation test order.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Laypeople who have not received any BLS training or practice in the 6 months leading up to the date of their participation will be recruited.

Exclusion criteria

  • Under 18 years old;
  • Non layperson and Basic Life Training in less than 6 months.

Treatment and study plan

Early Booster Teaching

Other

The early booster group will receive a booster teaching session at 3 weeks post-training followed by feedback.

Late Booster Teaching

Other

The late booster group will receive a booster teaching session at 2 months post-training followed by feedback

Primary outcomes

  1. Basic Life Support performance, as measured by the standardized Heart and Stroke Heartsaver checklist

    Time frame: 4 months

    BLS performance, as measured by the standardized Heart and Stroke Heartsaver checklist

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time to start chest compression;

    Time frame: 4 months

    Time from entering the scene to initiation of compression (in seconds)

  2. Accuracy of compression depth

    Time frame: 4 months

    Percentage of compressions that are deep enough

  3. Compression ratio

    Time frame: 4 months

    The percentage of time during the scenario that compressions are done

  4. Hand position

    Time frame: 4 months

    The percentage of time the hand position is correct

  5. Tidal volume

    Time frame: 4 months

    Mean tidal volume (ml)

  6. Ventilation success rate

    Time frame: 4 months

    The percentage of time ventilations are done with adequate volume 400-700mls

  7. Time to defibrillation using AED.

    Time frame: 4 months

    Time from start to defibrillation using AED (in seconds)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Does an Early Booster Session Improve Performance and Retention of Skills in Basic Life Support Compared to a Later Booster? A Simulation Based Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Dec 20, 2016
Registry last updated
Sep 7, 2018

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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