Do-It-Yourself Devices for Training CPR in Laypeople: A Scoping Review

Background: Layperson cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important skill with the potential to save millions of lives. However, CPR courses often require commercial, complicated, and expensive manikins. To increase access to CPR training worldwide at very low costs, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) devices may be a suitable tool for practising compressions. Objective: This scoping review is the first step in scoping and mapping the evidence on the effectiveness of DIY devices for laypersons learning adult CPR, along with defining gaps for future research. Method: This inquiry was structured by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search of 14 academic databases and popular media archives, with additional hand searches, identified academic reports and resources describing DIY compression device construction and/or implementation. Research studies were synthesized narratively, and the main characteristics of all resources were presented in a table. Results: Fifteen studies compared learning outcomes of CPR practice either pre-post DIY practice or between DIY and commercial manikins. Studies varied in the intervention (e.g., learning modality, time, manikin) and measurement, which precluded formal meta-analysis. Of the 55 different DIY devices described throughout all resources, 26 (47.3%) used plastic bottles for compression practice. Analysis of the resources revealed gaps in the current evidence base, such as a lack of clear assessment criteria, standardized procedures for comparisons, and sociocultural questions. Conclusion: This scoping review has identified a small number of studies which described different DIY devices for learning basic CPR skills to different extents. While there is a need for a more comprehensive search and full systematic review, the findings serve as a starting point for future investigations and support evidence-based choices regarding DIY manikins for teaching adult CPR.