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. 2019;10(2):75-80.
doi: 10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2019.02.002.

Do medical students studying in the United Kingdom have an adequate factual knowledge of basic life support?

Robert D Willmore  1 , Damjan Veljanoski  2 , Feray Ozdes  3 , Bethan Stephens  4 , James Mooney  5 , Seamus G Crumley  6 , Arpan Doshi  7 , Philippa Davies  7 , Shreya Badhrinarayanan  8 , Emily Day  9 , Kristian Tattam  10 , April Wilson  10 , Nathan Crang  11 , Lorna Green  12 , Craig A Mounsey  13 , Howell Fu  13 , Joseph Williams  13 , Michelle S D'souza  14 , Dhanya Sebastian  14 , Liam A Mcgiveron  15 , Matthew G Percy  15 , James Cohen  16 , Imogen J John  17 , Alice Lethbridge  17 , Imogen Watkins  18 , Omar Amin  19 , Mubasher A Qamar  20 , John Gerrard Hanrahan  21 , Emily Cramond-Wong  22
Affiliations

Do medical students studying in the United Kingdom have an adequate factual knowledge of basic life support?

Robert D Willmore et al. World J Emerg Med. 2019.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals have a duty to maintain basic life support (BLS) skills. This study aims to evaluate medical students' factual knowledge of BLS and the training they receive.

Methods: A cross-sectional, closed-response questionnaire was distributed to the first- and fourth-year students studying at institutions in the United Kingdom. The paper questionnaire sought to quantify respondent's previous BLS training, factual knowledge of the BLS algorithm using five multiple choice questions (MCQs), and valuate their desire for further BLS training. Students received 1 point for each correctly identified answer to the 5 MCQ's.

Results: A total of 3,732 complete responses were received from 21 medical schools. Eighty percent (n=2,999) of students completed a BLS course as part of their undergraduate medical studies. There was a significant difference (P<0.001) in the percentage of the fourth-year students selecting the correct answer in all the MCQ's compared to the first-year students except in identifying the correct depth of compressions required during CPR (P=0.095). Overall 10.3% (95% CI 9.9% to 10.7%) of respondents correctly identified the answer to 5 MCQ's on BLS 9% of the first-year students (n=194) and 12% of the fourth-year students (n=190). On an institutional level the proportion of students answering all MCQ's correctly ranged from 2% to 54% at different universities. Eighty-one percent of students (n=3,031) wished for more BLS training in their curriculum.

Conclusion: Factual knowledge of BLS is poor among medical students in the UK. There is a disparity in standards of knowledge across institutions and respondents indicating that they would like more training.

Keywords: Basic life support; Emergency Medicine; Medical education; Resuscitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: We have read and understood the journal’s and ICJME policy on declaration of interests and declare that we have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview of responses.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Differences between institutions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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