Enhanced Community First Responder System Evaluation in Singapore

The rise in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases in Singapore highlights the need for effective bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR). Despite many lay responders performing CPR, survival rates with good neurological outcomes have not significantly improved, prompting research into the quality of CPR as a critical factor. The study by Gallagher EJ et al. showed a significant survival improvement with high-quality CPR.

To address this, the Unit of Pre-hospital and Emergency Research (UPEC) trained thousands of community first responders (CFRs) in simplified CPR techniques using hands-only and DA-CPR methods. A significant innovation is the CPRcard®, developed by Laerdal in Norway, which offers real-time feedback on the quality of chest compressions. However, only 36% of CFRs using the CPRcard® achieved the desired compression standards, indicating room for improvement.

The study proposes enhancing CFR support with information communication technology (ICT), enabling two-way audio and one-way video communication between CFRs and dispatchers. This aims to reduce stress among responders, increase their willingness to engage with OHCA alerts, and improve CPR quality.

The clinical trial in Singapore will compare the current system against the enhanced CFR support system (eCSS), focusing on the real-time relay of CPR performance data, communication ease, and implementation factors. The high-quality CFR and OHCA registries in Singapore provide a robust setting for this research, aiming to enhance CPR delivery and improve OHCA outcomes through technology and real-time support.