Seymour-Walsh, Amy, Worley, Paul, Vnuk, Anna, and Grantham, Hugh (2016) Is the common approach to teaching ALS skills cost-effective? Resuscitation, 106 (Supplement 1). AP061. e46-e46.

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Abstract

Purpose: Medical education requires time and resources, but when we anticipate the cost of an endeavour, there is more than just a financial value to consider. This study broadens the definition of cost within the theoretical framework of symbiotic clinical education.1 This framework considers the stakeholders involved in clinical education beyond just the student and the teacher, but also the clinician, teaching institution, health service and patient.

Methods: In a mixed-methods study, we compare the cost of teaching advanced life support (ALS) skills between the four-stage skill teaching approach (4SA) internationally advocated for use in ALS courses and a more traditional two-stage approach (2SA). We ran a randomised controlled trial, financial review of materials, interviews, focus groups and surveys to understand the comparative costs and benefits of both methods, including time, resources, patient risk, cognitive demand on the educator, and student competence.

Results: Patient outcomes between the two teaching interventions are comparable, though 4SA instruction is more expensive in terms of time and resources. Educators report varying levels of difficulty using 4SA with cognitive load on the educator identified as a significant burden.

Conclusions: While the patient outcomes in our study are comparable, the increased time and resources required to teach with 4SA may place an increased burden on teaching organisations and educators already strained by the demand for their service.

Item ID:	87000
Item Type:	Article (Abstract)
ISSN:	1873-1570
Date Deposited:	27 Aug 2025 00:49
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