Stop the Bleed: An Interprofessional Community Service Learning Project Assessing the Efficacy of Pharmacist-Led Hemorrhage Control Education for Laypersons

• Published in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 271 - 276
• Main Authors: Moton, Robert, Baus, Courtney, Brandt, Claire, Coleman, Alana, Kennedy, Kaitlin, Swank, Steven, Tran, Michelle, Kazen, Katherine, Allen, Stefan, Moote, Rebecca, Evoy, Kirk E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Community service; Demographics; Drug stores; Education; Empowerment; Hemorrhage; Knowledge; Learning; Likert scale; Mortality; Pharmacists; Service learning; Statistical analysis; Students; Teaching; Training; Trauma; United States > US; Texas; health education; Stop the Bleed; hemorrhage control; bleeding control; community outreach; public health
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2020.8

Stop the Bleed (STB) is a national initiative that provides lifesaving hemorrhagic control education. In 2019, pharmacists were added as health-care personnel eligible to become STB instructors. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacist-led STB trainings for school employees in South Texas. Pharmacist-led STB trainings were provided to teachers and staff in Laredo, Texas. The 60-min trainings included a presentation followed by hands-on practice of tourniquet application, wound-packing, and direct pressure application. Training efficacy was assessed through anonymous pre- and postevent surveys, which evaluated changes in knowledge, comfort level, and willingness to assist in hemorrhage control interventions. Student volunteers (predominantly pharmacy and medical students) assisted in leading the hands-on portion, providing a unique interprofessional learning opportunity. Participants with previous training (N = 98) were excluded, resulting in a final cohort of 437 (response rate 87.4%). Compared with baseline, comfort level using tourniquets (mean, 3.17/5 vs 4.20/5; P < 0.0001), opinion regarding tourniquet safety (2.59/3 vs 2.94/3; P < 0.0001), and knowledge regarding tourniquets (70.86/100 vs 75.84/100; P < 0.0001) and proper tourniquet placement (2.40/4 vs 3.15/4; P < 0.0001) significantly improved. Pharmacist-led STB trainings are efficacious in increasing school worker knowledge and willingness to respond in an emergency hemorrhagic situation.