Bystander Helping Behaviour for Myocardial Infarction Following First Aid Training

Bystander Helping Behaviour for Acute Myocardial Infarction Following a First Aid Training Programme That Draws Attention to the Barriers to Providing Help - Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study is to measure the effect of an innovative training programme on the help seeking behaviour and helping rates of bystanders in medical emergencies.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Acute Myocardial Infarction
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Helping behaviour curriculum; Other: First aid only curriculum

Detailed Description

A systematic review on the effects of first aid training concluded that training must also include ways to overcome obstacles to bystander intervention. This could lead to better help and higher helping rates in medical emergencies.

The objective of this paper is to measure the effect of an innovative training programme on the help seeking behaviour and helping rates of bystanders in medical emergencies. We chose to test the helping behaviour for acute myocardial infarction because it is an important cause of mortality and invalidity. While the victim is urgently in need of help, delay in seeking professional help is an important problem.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 144
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Mechelen, Belgium, 2800
    • Belgian Red Cross-Flanders

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Course participants that are 18 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Course participants that are younger than 18 years
• Health care students
• Health care professionals

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: first aid and helping behaviour; The helping behaviour training is given after 24 hours first aid training and aims to sensitise participants towards a helping reaction and teach participants how to deal with barriers to helping	Other: Helping behaviour curriculum; The objective of the helping behaviour curriculum is to sensitise participants to develop a helping reaction, and to teach participants how to deal with barriers to helping. The helping behaviour curriculum is being taught in 2hours.
Active Comparator: first aid only; This group receives training in first aid only without training in helping behaviour.	Other: First aid only curriculum; Two hours training on first aid for alcohol and drug incidents

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Delay time for seeking help during deception experiment	Time to seeking help was measured between the simulated patient grabbing the heart and the study participant opening the door to get help.	within 4 weeks after the control or intervention training

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of helping during deception experiment	This refers to the number of participants that assessed the victim, or asked for help, or provided direct help to the victim during the test.	within 4 weeks after control or intervention training
First aid self efficacy belief	scores on 6 questions related to helping behaviour barriers with the following structure: " I will do x (action) even if y (barrier)"	within 15 minutes after experimental or control intervention
Impact of event	This indicates how shocking the study participants found the simulated emergency situation	Within 15 minutes after deception experiment
State of mood	Indication of how study participants feel after being told about the deception.	Within 15 minutes after deception experiment
Credibility of deception	Indication of how credible study participants found the simulated emergency situation	Within 15 minutes after deception

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: KU Leuven
• Collaborators: Belgian Red Cross; University Ghent; Laerdal Medical
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Bert Aertgeerts, Academic Centre for General Practice, Catholic University Leuven

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Van de Velde S, Heselmans A, Roex A, Vandekerckhove P, Ramaekers D, Aertgeerts B. Effectiveness of nonresuscitative first aid training in laypersons: a systematic review. Ann Emerg Med. 2009 Sep;54(3):447-57, 457.e1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2008.11.005. Epub 2009 Jan 21.
• Van de Velde S, Roex A, Vangronsveld K, Niezink L, Van Praet K, Heselmans A, Donceel P, Vandekerckhove P, Ramaekers D, Aertgeerts B. Can training improve laypersons helping behaviour in first aid? A randomised controlled deception trial. Emerg Med J. 2013 Apr;30(4):292-7. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2012-201128. Epub 2012 May 5.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 6, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): August 7, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 3, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 2, 2011
• Last Verified: May 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Myocardial infarction; Health education; First aid; Emergencies; Helping behaviour
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Ischemia; Pathologic Processes; Necrosis; Myocardial Ischemia; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Myocardial Infarction; Infarction
• Other Study ID Numbers: S51742; S51742, ML5859, B32220096701 (Other Identifier: Commissie Medische Ethiek UZ Gasthuisberg)