Needs assessment and Acceptability of a Community First Aid Responder programme to increase Out-of-hospital capacity in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A qualitative study

Objective

Despite efforts in recent years to expand the availability of prehospital care in low- and middle-income countries, its availability remains limited in many regions. The World Health Organization advocates the development of layperson first responder programmes as a supportive step in building functioning prehospital systems. This study aimed to identify the need for, and acceptability of, a community first responder programme to increase out-of-hospital capacity in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Methods

We conducted five focus group discussions using purposive sampling. We included health system planners, emergency care providers, community health volunteers, and community members in both urban and peri‑urban areas. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, validated, and subjected to inductive content analysis to identify themes and sub-themes.

Results

Several areas of the emergency care system were identified for improvement, starting with the initial response to emergencies in the community. Barriers included planning and governance issues; inadequate resources such as trained staff; cost; transportation issues; and reliance on alternative forms of care. There was a dominant view that sustainably addressing these barriers and building on identified facilitators requires a multi-pronged approach involving government, healthcare, and community members. Perspectives about the acceptability and sustainability of a community first responder programme were largely positive, and numerous actionable recommendations were provided.

Conclusion

A community first responder programme was deemed a useful and acceptable intervention to help increase out-of-hospital emergency care capacity in Kinshasa. Key potential facilitators and barriers to its implementation and sustainability were identified.