Follow-up Program for First Aid Providers

The Importance of First Aid

Every year more than 3500 people experience sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Norway. One of t​he most important factors for survival consist of bystanders calling emergency medical dispatch number 113 as well as initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Bystander CPR can increase the probability of survival by a threefold. Since the 1960s society have provided the public with extensive first aid training and strongly encouraged everyone to provide first aid.

Saving lives together

In 2017, "Saving lives together", on the initiative of the Ministry of Health and Care Services, was introduced as a national campaign to increase society's preparedness for cardiac arrest and other time-critical conditions, with a special focus on the public as a prehospital resource. One of the main tasks of this campaign is implementing extensive and widespread first aid training.

Foto: Svein Lunde, SUS

A tough experience

Preforming CPR can be a tough experience, especially for lay rescuers with no medical background. Such an incidence can lead to persistent adverse effects. Many struggle with guilt for providing insufficient CPR. In addition, many worry about the patient's outcome. First aid providers have no possibility of obtaining such information, except for those who are Next of  Kin. First aid providers can experience flashbacks, sleeping disorders, weight loss, anxiety, concentration difficulties, reduced work capacity etc. These results were presented in a study conducted by Mathiesen and Bjørshol et al. at Stavanger University Hospital. Until now, there has been nowhere for first aid providers to turn for help to process their traumatic experience.

Training in first aid is not sufficient to prepare people for the psychological strain they will undertake both during and after taking part in a first aid situation. Medical personnel often conduct a debrief after severe incidents. However, first aid providers are seldom included, though it may have been their efforts which had the greatest impact on the patient's outcome The purpose of this follow-up program is to help the first aid providers to process a difficult experience and to review the incident together with professionals. Simultaneously, we wish to help them attain a sense of achievement despite the personal strain following the experience.

Target group

This program will consist of the following components:

1. A consultation with experienced health care professionals

Equivalent to a debriefing, in which health care professionals participate regularly.  No information concerning the specific incidence or specific patient will be revealed. The exception is if we obtain consent to pass on the patient's outcome. Medical and technical questions from the first aid provider will be answered on a general basis.

2. Information regarding patient outcome

Many first aid providers who are not Next of Kin wish to know the patient's outcome, also if the patient might have died. It is important that the first aid provider is not left with guilt after a negative outcome (only 1 out of 6 cardiac arrest pasients survive). For health care professionals there is an opening in the legislation which provides them with the opportunity to obtain information concerning a patient's outcome in cases were they have provided treatment. It is reasonable that lay rescuers and volunteer first responders who provide life-saving first aid, should receive at least some of this information. ​If the first aider wants to know the patient's outcome, we therefore ask for consent from the patient or the patient's relatives. If we get consent, the first aider can find out if the patient survived or not. No other information ​​about the patient, such as diagnoses or identity, is provided.​

 ​3. Information about contagious diseases and testing

First aid providers are rarely exposed to infectious diseases.  However, the risk of contracting a contagious disease may cause great concern for some. If the first aid provider addresses the topic or if we believe there is a reasonable chance they may have contracted a disease, this will be handled. If necessary, we will advise the first aid provider to contact their general physician for a consultation and possible testing.

4. Feedback to the health care system

It is important to obtain feedback from the first aid providers. Both information about their experience of providing first aid and their experience with the emergency medical services may be of great use​. All relevant feedback will be conveyed in order to improve the emergency medical services.

Further Follow-up

Most first aid providers will not be in need of further follow-up than what is portrayed in this project. However, if some should in fact show symptoms of psychological disorders due to the first aid incidents (such as anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts etc.) they will be referred to the ordinary health care system for diagnosis and treatment.  

Collaboration with ​​​other health trusts​

​​​Research​

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Contact

Please call us on phone number: 02415.

The offer is free and we have a duty of confidentiality.

Please contact Anne Friis Thommassen in case of questions.
E-mail: anne.friis.thommassen@sus.no​

In case of emergency call 113

If it's a little urgent, call the emergency room 116117

More information

For more information about the Follow up program see: Førstehjelpere - Helse Stavanger (helse-stavanger.no)

​ Videopresentations of the project:

Oppfølging av førstehjelpere – kort presentasjon (7min)

Oppfølging av førstehjelpere – lengre presentasjon (15 min)​

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News / Media​

• Sykepleien: Etter å ha gitt hjerte- og lungeredning til datteren, trengte Elisabeth hjelp selv (sykepleien.no)
• TV Vest: Endelig får førstehjelperne hjelp - TV Vest
• NRK Rogaland: Stavanger Universitetssjukehus først ute med tilbud om oppfølging av førstehjelpere – NRK Rogaland – Lokale nyheter, TV og radio
• KoKom: Oppfølging av førstehjelpere - KoKom
• Nyhetssak på RAKOS sin hjemmesider: Status Oppfølging Førstehjelper prosjekt Juli 2021 - Helse Stavanger (helse-stavanger.no)
  

• TV2 Christmas advertisement: Oppf​​ølging av førstehjelpere – 30 sek video​​​
  

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