New communication tool for basic life support training: smart glasses. A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Aim: To analyze the effectiveness of a teaching-learning methodology for teletraining in basic life support (BLS) based on communication through smart glasses.

Design: Pilot quasi-experimental non-inferiority study.

Participants: Sixty college students.

Interventions: Randomization of the participants in: tele-training through smart glasses (SG) and traditional training (C) groups. Both training sessions were very brief (less than 8 min) and included the same BLS content. In SG, the instructor trained through a video call with smart glasses.

Main variables of interest: The BLS protocol, the use of AED, the quality of resuscitation and the response times were evaluated.

Results: In most of the BLS protocol variables, the resuscitation quality and performance times, there were no statistically significant differences between groups. There were significant differences (in favor of the SG) in the assessment of breathing (SG: 100%, C: 81%; p = 0.013), the not-to-touch warning before applying the shock (SG: 79%, C: 52%; p = 0.025) and compressions with correct recoil (SG: 85%, C: 32%; p = 0.008).

Conclusions: Laypeople BLS-AED brief tele-training through smart glasses could potentially be, at least, as effective as traditional training methods. In addition, smart glasses could be more advantageous than traditional teaching for certain points of the BLS protocol and chest compressions quality, probably due to the capability of real-time visualization of images which supports the BLS sequence. Augmented reality supported teaching should be considered for BLS training, although caution is required in extrapolating findings, and further in-depth studies are needed to confirm its potential role depending on concrete target populations and environments.

Keywords: Basic life support; Bystander; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; Parada cardiorrespiratoria extrahospitalaria; Reanimación cardiopulmonary; Smart glasses; Soporte vital básico; Testigo.