Optimising ambulance service contribution to clinical trials: a phenomenological exploration using focus groups.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest trials can prove challenging and there is a need to share learning from those that have recruited successfully. We have just completed three years of recruitment to PARAMEDIC2, a placebo-controlled trial of adrenaline in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study was designed to describe the experience of operational ambulance staff involved in recruiting patients into PARAMEDIC2. Four focus groups involving trial paramedics and supporting members of the emergency care team were conducted across different geographical regions of a single UK ambulance service participating in the PARAMEDIC2 study. Data analysis was supported by NVivo 12 and themes were identified using a thematic analysis approach. Forty-four participants contributed to the focus groups. Four overarching themes were identified: This study has provided insights into paramedic experience of a large-scale pre-hospital trial. Investment in time and resource to provide face-to-face training and personalised feedback to paramedics can foster engagement and optimise performance.

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© 2019 The Author(s).