Citation

Paine AL, Maclean F. BMJ Open 2024; 14(6): e079214.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079214

PMID

38858135

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In the face of unprecedented demand, the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust developed 'Blue Light Hub': a new app to educate primary school-aged children about emergency services. Our overarching aim was to examine the effectiveness of the app.

DESIGN: Primary school-aged children from three schools in South Wales, UK, played with the app for 2 hours over 2 weeks in class time. Children completed quizzes to assess their knowledge and awareness of, and confidence in engaging with, emergency services before and after using the app. PARTICIPANTS: Our evaluation focused on N=393 children who completed both the pre-test and post-test quizzes. On average, children were 8-9 years old (median school year, Year 4); 47.8% were male and 50.9% were female.

RESULTS: After using the app, there was a significant increase in the proportion of children who knew of appropriate actions to take in non-emergency scenarios, χ(2)(1) = 26.01, and could provide a question a call handler would ask them if they called 999, χ(2)(1) = 13.79. There was also an increase in the proportion of children who could identify an National Health Service (NHS) service that could help them if they were unwell, χ(2)(1) = 33.31, name different roles in the NHS, χ(2)(1) = 12.80 and knew how dialling 111 could help them χ(2)(1) = 90.05 (all p values<0.001).

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, Blue Light Hub is the first app of its kind designed to educate primary school-aged children about emergency services. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that the app supports children's knowledge and awareness of emergency services.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Child; Female; Male; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Feasibility Studies; Ambulances; Wales; ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY MEDICINE; *Emergency Medical Services; *Mobile Applications; Blue Light; Health Education/methods