Protocol: simulation training to improve 9-1-1 dispatcher identification of cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND 9-1-1 dispatchers are often the first contact for bystanders witnessing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In the time before Emergency Medical Services arrives, dispatcher identification of the need for, and provision of Telephone-CPR (T-CPR) can improve survival. Our study aims to evaluate the use of phone-based standardized patient simulation training to improve identification of the need for T-CPR and shorten time to start of T-CPR instructions. METHODS/DESIGN The STAT-911 study is a randomized controlled trial. We will recruit 160 dispatchers from 9-1-1 call-centers in the Pacific Northwest; they are randomized to an intervention or control group. Intervention participants complete four telephone simulation training sessions over 6-8 months. Training sessions consist of three mock 9-1-1 calls, with a standardized patient playing a caller witnessing a medical emergency. After the mock calls, an instructor who has been listening in and scoring the dispatcher's call management, connects to the dispatcher and provides feedback on select call processing skills. After the last training session, all participants complete the simulation test: a call session that includes two mock 9-1-1 calls of medium complexity. During the study, audio from all actual cardiac arrest calls handled by the dispatchers will be collected. All dispatchers complete a baseline survey, and after the intervention, a follow-up survey to measure confidence. Primary outcomes are proportion of calls where dispatchers identify the need for T-CPR, and time to start of T-CPR, assessed by comparing performance on two calls in the simulation test. Secondary outcomes are proportion of actual cardiac arrest calls in which dispatchers identify the need for T-CPR and time to start of T-CPR; performance on call-taking skills during the simulation test; self-reported confidence in the baseline and follow-up surveys; and calculated costs of the intervention training sessions and projected costs for field implementation of training sessions. DISCUSSION The STAT-911 study will evaluate if over-the-phone simulation training with standardized patients can improve 9-1-1 dispatchers' ability identify the need for, and promptly begin T-CPR. Furthermore, it will advance knowledge on the effectiveness of simulation training for health services phone-operators interacting with clients, patients, or bystanders in diagnosis, triage, and treatment decisions. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01972087 . Registered 23 October 2013.