Incorporating BIRB into t-CPR instructions - a RCT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Incorporating behaviourally-informed responses to barriers (BIRB) into telephone CPR instructions– a randomised controlled trial of effect on time to CPR initiation
IRAS ID
363230
Contact name
Barbara Farquharson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Stirling
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Cardiac arrest is where the heart stops suddenly. When this happens in the community it is called out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Every year in the UK, 30,000 people experience OHCA and devastatingly, only 1 in 10 survive.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) involves pressing the chest to maintain circulation until medical help arrives. CPR is the most important thing to increase survival. People who suffer OHCA don’t receive CPR quickly enough, even when 999 call-handlers provide instructions.
In previous research we identified barriers to CPR and developed responses that might be helpful for call-handlers to say to overcome the main barriers – this is called Behaviourally-Informed Responses to Barriers (BIRB). Our main aim in this study is to evaluate whether BIRB is more effective than usual care in reducing the time it takes to achieve CPR during calls to the ambulance service for OHCA.
We will recruit and train 30 call-handlers within the Scottish Ambulance Service to deliver BIRB for calls involving OHCA. We will analyse 1800 calls over 9 months and compare the calls of those trained in BIRB with a comparator group providing ‘usual care’. We will also interview call-handlers (after training) about their experiences of training and interview call-handlers and their managers at the end of the 9 months about their experiences of delivering BIRB in the live 999 environment.
If results show that BIRB is effective in reducing time to CPR, it could be implemented widely in ambulance services. Data from the interviews will help inform how best this could be done.REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0731
Date of REC Opinion
23 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion