Bystander CPR

Overview

For victims of cardiac emergencies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death. Fortunately, no medical training is required to perform CPR. Bystanders who witness the sudden collapse of someone nearby can call 911 and receive step-by-step CPR instructions from a trained operator. However, limited English proficient (LEP) callers are less likely to understand telephone-assisted CPR instructions and are consequently less likely to perform bystander CPR.

To improve this picture, NWPERRC researchers are studying the cultural and linguistic barriers to bystander CPR faced by Chinese and Latino LEP populations. Findings will be used to modify 911 assisted instructions and develop culturally appropriate CPR training strategies, so that LEP populations can be more prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies.

This three-year project was funded in 2009 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Methods

This project conducts focus groups to learn what Chinese and Spanish communities know and believe about CPR and how barriers to bystander CPR can be lessened. Findings from these focus groups are used to develop new guidelines for phone-based CPR instruction. Next, using a CPR simulation experiment, researchers explore whether simplified instructions and use of interpreters reduce LEP callers' time delay to CPR. Researchers also test whether simplified language impacts CPR quality among native English speakers. Using additional funds from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund and the Trauma Care Council, researchers are testing if it makes a difference to “bare the chest” during CPR, a procedure that can delay initiation of CPR. Results of the experiment inform policy changes, which are then implemented and evaluated.

Tools for the Field

CPR videos: In collaboration with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division of Public Health - Seattle and King County, researchers created CPR videos featuring Latino and Asian actors, for disseminating culturally-appropriate CPR education.

911 call center protocols: After conducting the CPR simulation experiment with Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and Spanish-speaking participants, researchers used preliminary findings to propose revised phone-based CPR instructions.  The new instructions have been implemented in two large 911 call centers in King County, where they will be further evaluated.

911 course: Researchers worked with EMS and Language Line Services to develop a course for 911 call center managers and trainers on handling emergencies in multi-language populations.

Researchers

Hendrika Meischke, PhD, MPH, Principal Investigator
Shin-Ping Tu, MD, MPH, Co-Investigator
Mei Po Yip, RN, MPhil, PhD, Co-Investigator
Steve Bradley, MD, MPH, Co-Investigator
Gloria Coronado, PhD, Co-Investigator
Ian Painter, MSc, PhD, Co-Investigator
Devora Chavez, MIT, MPH, Research Coordinator
Brooke Ike, MPH, Research Coordinator

For questions about this project, please contact, Devora Chavez, at devora@u.washington.edu.