TraumaK-LFR ProjectNCT07581327
Data-Driven Lay First Responder Program in Cameroon
A study testing Lay First Responder (LFR) training in people with Trauma and Injury, run by Sabrinah Christie at 1 site in Cameroon.
Trial summary
Cameroon experiences a high burden of injury-related morbidity and mortality and currently lacks a formal pre-hospital care system. Lay First Responder (LFR) programs have been implemented in several low-and middle-income countries to improve early injury care by training non-medical community members with high… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- What is being tested?
- Lay First Responder (LFR) training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,812 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCameroon
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to Sep 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Trauma patients presenting to Limbe Regional Hospital and enrolled in the Cameroon Trauma Registry
Who cannot join
- Trauma patients not included in the Cameroon trauma registry at Limbe regional hospital.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Cameroon1 site
Limbe Health District
Limbe, Southwest
Frida E Nganje, MD, MPH, +237676641543, fridaembolo@gmail.com
About this study
Official title: Implementation of a Data-Driven Pre-Hospital Lay First Responder Program in Cameroon
Cameroon experiences a high burden of injury-related morbidity and mortality and currently lacks a formal pre-hospital care system. Lay First Responder (LFR) programs have been implemented in several low-and middle-income countries to improve early injury care by training non-medical community members with high exposure to injury, such as commercial drivers, in basic first aid and safe transport of injured patients.
The study aims to implement and evaluate a data-driven, context-adapted LFR program in Cameroon using an implementation science approach. Quantitative trauma registry data and qualitative stakeholder interviews will be used to adapt the LFR curriculum to local injury patterns and care gaps. LFR program implementation will be associated with increased chances of survival on presentation and improved trauma outcomes.
The study is an interrupted time series evaluation of an LFR intervention where prehospital care rates and clinical patterns in the Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) patients at Limbe Regional hospital will be compared between historical pre-implementation controls and post-implementation of a data-driven lay first responder training program (the intervention).
Read the detailed description
Injury accounts for a substantial proportion of preventable mortality in Cameroon, where no organized prehospital emergency medical system currently exists. Evidence suggests that effective prehospital care could prevent up to 45% of injury-related deaths. Lay First Responder (LFR) programs represent a pragmatic strategy for improving early trauma care in resource-limited settings by training lay persons who are frequently present at injury scenes.
Despite promising early results in other settings, rigorous evaluation of LFR programs has been limited, particularly regarding their impact on patient-level outcomes. This study aim to test the contextual feasibility of the lay first responder program in Cameroon, after it has been successful in other Sub-Saharan nations.
This study seeks to address these gaps by implementing a data-driven LFR program informed by trauma registry analysis and stakeholder engagement, and by evaluating feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness within Cameroonian context.
The Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) gathers prospective data on patient demographics, injury characteristics, receipt of prehospital care, clinical findings and management, disposition and outcomes on patients admitted for injuries at ten trauma hospitals in Cameroon. Each hospital has a full-time research assistant overseen by an MPH-level field supervisor. Patients are followed from presentation through hospital discharge. This study will be implemented in Limbe municipality, Cameroon and will utilize data from the Limbe Regional Hospital site of the CTR.
The LFR intervention: An LFR curriculum adapted for the Cameroon context using a two-stage, mixed-methods approach (quantitative analysis of prospective CTR data and qualitative semi-structured interviews of target stakeholders) will be used to train LFR providers (commercial drivers and community members) over a 3-month training and transition period.
The primary metric of program feasibility will be percent change in the proportion of trauma patients receiving prehospital care in the post-intervention cohort compared to pre-intervention historical controls. The secondary outcomes for program effectiveness will be injury severity-stratified percentage change in the proportion of CTR patients presenting with normal vital signs (systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate) in the post-intervention cohort compared to the pre-intervention cohort.
- Being tested
- Lay First Responder (LFR) training
- Keywords
- Lay First Resposnder, Trauma, Pre-Hospital care, Road Traffic Injury, By-stander response, Trauma systems, Emergency Care
- Medical subject headings
- Wounds and Injuries
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Lay First Responder (LFR) trainingBehavioural
Training of LFR providers using a data driven, pretested curriculum adapted for the Cameroon context over a 3-month training and transition period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-LFR implementation CTR cohort | No intervention | Historic data of trauma patients enrolled during an 18-month pre-implementation period in Limbe Regional Hospital before the LFR training program commences. |
| Post-LFR implementation CTR cohort | Experimental | Trauma patients enrolled in the 18- month post-implementation period in Limbe Regional Hospital after the 3-month LFR provider training program and transition period has ended. Receives: Behavioral: Lay First Responder (LFR) training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Prehospital care rate
Proportion of hospitalized trauma patients who received prehospital care prior to arrival at participating hospitals, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.
Secondary outcomes (7)
Systolic blood pressure at presentation
Median systolic blood pressure (mmHg) measured at hospital presentation among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.
Respiratory rate greater than 8 and less than 20 breaths per minute
Percentage change in the proportion of CTR patients presenting with respiratory rate greater than 8 and less than 20 breaths per minute compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post-implementation period
Proportion of trauma patients with heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute
Percent change in the proportion of trauma patients with heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.
In-hospital mortality
All-cause in-hospital mortality among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post-implementation period.
24-hour mortality
All-cause mortality within 24 hours of hospital presentation among injured patients, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through the 18-month post implementation period.
Blood transfusion
Proportion of injured patients receiving blood transfusion during hospitalization, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through 18-month post implementation period.
Operative intervention
Proportion of injured patients requiring surgical intervention during hospitalization, compared between pre- and post implementation LFR cohorts.
Measured: From enrollment through 18-month post implementation period.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 May 2026
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionJun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for TraumaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Model description
- The study is an interrupted time series evaluation of a Lay First Responder (LFR) training program where prehospital care rates and clinical patterns of injured Cameroon Trauma Registry patients at Limbe Regional hospital will be compared between historical pre-implementation group and post- implementation cohort of the LFR training (the intervention).
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 1,812 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sabrinah Christie
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health, University of Buea, University of California, Los Angeles
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Sabrinah Christie, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07581327
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- K01TW012689
- Other IDs
- K01TW012689
- Acronym
- K-LFR Project
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 12 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided