Assessing Public Perceptions of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Bystander Willingness to Act in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Low survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain a serious health concern internationally. Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation can increase the chances of survival dramatically. However, the number of OHCA patients who receive these interventions remains low. This study sought to characterize Canadian public knowledge, attitudes and willingness to perform both traditional and chest-compression-only CPR using a two-phase, mixed methods approach. Twenty-one qualitative interviews were conducted, the results of which informed an online, scenario-based, Canada-wide survey. Significant knowledge gaps regarding recognition of cardiac arrest, the precise steps of CPR and perceived survival rate were identified and common to both phases. A larger proportion of survey respondents demonstrated a willingness to perform chest-compression-only CPR compared to traditional CPR in general, and specifically in situations involving strangers and unkempt individuals. Knowledge gaps and misconceptions seem to dominate the public perspective, leading to the recommendation for a tailored knowledge translation solution.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Lindsay Cheskes
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2785479020