The Effect of First-aid Training for Taxi Drivers on Their Willingness to Perform Emergency Care

Seong, Hwa Yong; Park, Deuk Hyun; Yoon, Yoo Sang; Park, Kyung Hye; Kim, Yang Weon

Abstract

PURPOSE
After a traffic accident, first-aid performed within the first few minutes is important for the injured in terms of survival, future health, and quality of life. Taxi drivers have more possibility of witnessing traffic accidents because they spend much time on the road. If taxi drivers are well trained and can perform first-aid in a correct manner, they will play an important role in pre-hospital emergency medical services. We investigated the effect of first-aid training on taxi drivers' willingness to perform emergency care.
METHODS
We provided first-aid training for 600 deluxe taxi drivers in Busan in 2012. The subjects were given a questionnaire to answer at the beginning and at the end of first-aid training.
RESULTS
427 out of 600 deluxe taxi drivers answer our questionnaire completely. 93 out of 427 deluxe taxi drivers answered that they had first-aid training within past 3 years(21.8%). 323 taxi drivers have witnessed a traffic accident(76%). 45 out of 323 deluxe taxi drivers who witnessed a traffic accident answered that they provided first-aid to victims(14.0%). After first-aid training, taxi drivers' willingness to perform emergency care was increased compared to that before training. The failed group of taxi drivers that had same or decreased willingness after first-aid training had a low level of education than the successful group that had increased willingness after first-aid training.
CONCLUSION
First-aid training increased taxi drivers' willingness to perform emergency care. So Taxi drivers should be encouraged more to undertake and maintain first-aid training. For more volunteering of first-aid training and improvement in the effect of first-aid training, a graded education program for taxi drivers with a low level of education should be developed, and a policy on giving credit for completing first-aid training course and for carrying out first-aid needs to be formulated.