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

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Resuscitation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Focus group discussion

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 15

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE15 8NY
    • North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Operational ambulance crew employees of the local ambulance service

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Focus Groups 1-4; An anticipated 3-8 participants who meet the inclusion criteria of being aged 18 or over, a employee of the local ambulance service, are employed as an operational ambulance crew member, irrespective of title and to have had experienced an out of hospital resuscitation where MCCD was used, irrespective of the type of device or their level of involvement, and who also volunteer and agree to take part in the online focus group.

Other: Focus group discussion; There is no intervention. This is a qualitative piece of work only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Collect and report ambulance crews' experiences of using MCCDs for out-of-hospital resuscitation attempts.	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 hours

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Does the use of MCCDs have any effect on, or facilitate, the team leader role at an out-of-hospital resuscitation attempt	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 hours
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.	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 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Northumbria University
• Collaborators: Jolife AB
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Richelle Duffy, PhD, Northumbria University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Blair L, Duffy R. 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. Br Paramed J. 2022 Sep 1;7(2):24-30. doi: 10.29045/14784726.2022.09.7.2.24.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): July 31, 2020
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): September 19, 2020
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): September 19, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2020
• First Posted (ACTUAL): July 21, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): October 14, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Qualitative; Resuscitation; Experiences; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation,; Out of Hospital; Ambulance Crew; Mechanical Chest Compression Device
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18018/275607

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No