Image used for representation only.
Doha, Qatar: The level of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge and skills practice among healthcare providers in the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has proven to be satisfactory, playing a crucial role as health centres serve as the initial point of contact for people’s healthcare in Qatar.
Early and effective CPR significantly increases survival rates and post-cardiac arrest quality of life. To gauge the current knowledge and proficiency of physicians and nurses in PHCC-operated health centres, a study titled ‘Knowledge, Attitude, and Proficiency of Healthcare Providers in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in a Public Primary Healthcare Setting in Qatar’ was conducted.
The survey, which included responses from 569 physicians and nurses, revealed that nearly half (48.7%) had received formal training in basic life support within the last year. Moreover, 62.7% had attempted to revive a person experiencing cardiac arrest. All participants acknowledged the importance of knowing how to perform CPR on adults or children as part of their professional responsibilities.
The study identified nursing as the most significant predictor of a higher knowledge score in both components, followed by attending multiple resuscitation courses (3–6 courses in the last 3 years) and longer clinical practice experience (5–10 and less than 10 years).
Additionally, direct observation of CPR drill performance yielded satisfactory outcomes.
Adhering to American Heart Association (AHA) standards, PHCC-operated health centres have designated Code Blue Teams (CBT) composed of two physicians and four nurses. These teams provide immediate response and care management for patients experiencing cardiac and/or respiratory arrest until an ambulance arrives.
Conducted by senior researcher at PHCC Dr. Ahmed Sameer Alnuaimi and researchers Shajitha Thekke Veettil, Mohamed Shaheen Anodiyil, Hanan Khudadad, Abdul Hakeem Hamza, and Femina Purakaloth Umme, the study recommends that clinical staff at PHCC undergo regular certification and assessments to ensure the retention of resuscitation knowledge and skills. Despite the satisfactory level of CPR knowledge and skills practice reported by most providers, the authors suggest more frequent and continuous CPR certification training, especially for healthcare workers with limited experience.
The study comprises two parts: a descriptive cross-sectional survey using an online form to assess CPR knowledge and attitudes among physicians and nurses in all health centres and a direct observation of CPR drills to evaluate the skills and competencies of Code Blue Team members in a sample of 14 health centres. A multivariate model was employed to examine the independent effects of explanatory variables on the total knowledge score.
