The timing of testing influences skill retention after basic life support training: a prospective quasi-experimental study

• Published in: BMC medical education Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 452
• Main Authors: Kovács, Enikő, Jenei, Zsigmond Máté, Csordás, Katalin, Fritúz, Gábor, Hauser, Balázs, Gyarmathy, V Anna, Zima, Endre, Gál, János
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 04.12.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Algorithms; Basic life support; Cardiac arrest; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - education; Clinical Competence; Control Groups; CPR; Educational Measurement; Educational Methods; Emergency medical care; Experimental Groups; Female; First Aid; Guidelines; Humans; Hungary; Lecture Method; Life Support Care; Male; Measurement Techniques; Medical Education; Medical students; Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; Prospective Studies; Quasi-experimental methods; Quasiexperimental Design; Refresher Courses; Research Design; Retention, Psychology; Skill retention; Students, Medical; Studies; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Testing effect; Training; Hungary; Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; Basic life support; Testing effect; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Exam; Skill retention

Proper basic life support (BLS) is key in improving the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. BLS skills deteriorate in three to 6 months after training. One method to improve skill retention may be using the "testing effect" to test skills at the end of a BLS course. The aim of our...