Exploring cardiac arrest in 'at-home' settings: Concepts derived from a qualitative interview study with layperson bystanders

BACKGROUND: Two thirds of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCAs) occur at the patient's home ('at-home-CA'), where bystander CPR (B-CPR) rates are significantly lower than in public locations. Knowledge about the circumstances of this specific setting has mainly been limited to quantitative data. To develop a more conceptual understanding of the circumstances and dynamics of 'at-home CA', we conducted a qualitative interview study.

METHODS: Twenty-one semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with laypersons who had witnessed 'at-home CA'. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed by qualitative content analysis (QCA). A category system was developed to classify facilitating and impeding factors and to finally derive overarching concepts of 'at-home CA'.

RESULTS: Qualitative Content Analysis yielded 1'347 relevant interview segments. Of these, 398 related to factors facilitating B-CPR, 328 to factors impeding, and 621 were classified neutral. Some of these factors were specific to 'at-home CA'. The privacy context was found to be a particularly supportive factor, as it enhanced the commitment to act and facilitated the detection of symptoms. Impeding factors, aggravated in 'at-home CA' settings, included limited support from other bystanders, acute stress response and impaired situational judgement, as well as physical challenges when positioning the patient. We derived six overarching concepts defining the 'at-home CA' situation: (a) unexpectedness of the event, (b) acute stress response, (c) situational judgement, (d) awareness of the necessity to perform B-CPR, (e) initial position of the patient, (f) automaticity of actions.

CONCLUSION: Integrating these concepts into dispatch protocols and layperson training may improve dispatcher-bystander interaction and the outcomes of 'at-home CA'.