THURS-111 - Exploring the Gap in Adolescent First Aid Education and How Generative AI Enhances Youth Readiness

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn about the gap in adolescent first aid education and recognize how the reduced emphasis on this topic in public school settings, along with the failure to address adolescents’ cognitive and emotional barriers, contribute to this issue; ultimately reducing adolescents’ preparedness to provide lifesaving care in times of emergencies. Finally, discover how the implementation of Generative Artificial Intelligence can improve adolescent knowledge of first aid by utilizing realistic and personalized instructional methodologies. This will pave the way for a new generation of confident citizens and youth health advocates in our communities.

Detailed abstract description: It is important for all citizens to be equipped with first aid knowledge so that they may provide immediate care in emergencies, stabilize victims’ conditions, and protect them from further harm. However, most American adolescents, making up 13% of the U.S population, are unprepared to deliver lifesaving care in a time of urgent need, representing a critical gap in public health education. This presentation explores how the reduced emphasis on first aid instruction in school settings, failure to use more interactive teaching approaches, and failure to address the cognitive and emotional barriers adolescents face all contribute to the issue of inadequate preparedness and confidence among adolescents to effectively respond to emergencies. Utilizing data from an anonymous online survey administered to 155 adolescents, attendees will examine the current exposure of adolescents in the field of first aid, the barriers that hinder their ability to be confident in their skills, and the limitations of initiatives implemented by public school systems. Building on this foundation, this presentation introduces Generative Artificial Intelligence as a transformative tool to improve first aid knowledge among adolescents. Attendees will discover how implementing Generative Artificial Intelligence into first aid curriculums can deliver personalized and realistic training experiences that adapt to individual learning styles and readiness level, through simulations, interactive feedback, and providing a confidence targeted instructional approach.

Attendees will gain a new perspective about the importance of first aid education in the younger generation and what specific limitations should be addressed in current initiatives to enhance adolescent first aid preparedness. Attendees will also understand how Generative Artificial Intelligence provides an opportunity to combat these limitations by effectively increasing adolescents’ confidence and competence in applying first aid skills during real-life emergencies. This presentation allows attendees to reimagine adolescent first aid instruction, paving the way for a new generation of confident citizens and youth health advocates in our communities.