Introduction: Laypeople acting as immediate responders can save lives in both day-to-day medical emergencies and large-scale disasters, provided that they receive sufficient training in, e.g., first aid. Growing evidence suggests that laypeople can successfully be taught hemorrhage control, yet which training factors that contribute to successful training outcomes are relatively unknown. This systematic review aims to address this gap through a theory-informed analytic approach through the lens of a well-established training effectiveness model used in multiple domains. Methods: A literature search was conducted within five databases: CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies on medical laypeople who had been formally trained in bleeding control or were part of experimental studies where bleeding control was given to the participant were included. A deductive analysis was conducted where each study’s content was analyzed and thematically described according to a predetermined theoretical framework on training effectiveness. Results: In total, 2962 records were identified after the initial search. 56 studies were included in the review after screening and assessment of the records. Training performance, self-perceived ability, and knowledge acquisition were found to be among the most studied factors. Conversely, trainee expectations, desires, and motivation to attend training, real-world performance, and how patient outcomes are affected by training were among the least studied factors, in addition to rarely being highlighted as important or discussed thoroughly. Conclusion: The findings suggest that bleeding control training is linked to positive increases in multiple training outcomes, yet the lack of evidence for several important training effectiveness factors could hinder the understanding of how to improve future training programs. These findings could be used by educators and researchers within the field to direct efforts to further bridge the gap between the lack of or existence of scientific evidence and current practices.
Friberg et al. (Sun,) studied this question.