Development of smartphone applications for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the prehospital setting in Thailand

Abstract

Objective The survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients depends on early bystander chest compression and rapid public access defibrillation. This study aimed to design and develop a smartphone application for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) in a prehospital setting in Thailand. Methods The four steps of the study were planning, development, evaluation, and production of applications through online meetings and submission of a linked questionnaire to 19 experts for consensus. Results Among the total of 19 experts, 93% strongly agreed with the development of the smartphone application. They agreed with the operating modes as follows: 100% with emergency calls by number and video calls, 100% with dispatchers and bystanders to locate OHCA and automated external de­fibrillator (AED), 94% with teaching of BCPR by video, 88% with pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 100% with tracking of real-time feedback to BCPR by voice, 88% with contacting bystanders by phone number, 83% with applications that can transmit signals from OHCA to nearby bystanders within 400 m, and 89% with first aid for daily life. Consequently, the application’s main operating modes are emergency calls, identification of OHCA and AED locations, responder call, and first aid. Conclusion We designed and developed a new smartphone application for BCPR in Thailand. The following study will test a smartphone application for training and outcome measures in Bangkok, Thailand. Keywords: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Smartphone