The past, present, and future of first aid and health education: a case study in Hong Kong

Purpose: The demand for ambulance services in Hong Kong is increasing and first aid plays an important role in saving lives. The government recognized first aid training courses offered by four organizations. This study aims to review and discuss the past, present and future of first aid and health training in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a case study approach to investigate the operations and development of the first aid and health training in one of the largest training providers in Hong Kong. Publicly available secondary data, including annual reports, websites, newspapers and social media, were collected and analysed. Using the thematic analysis procedure, researchers familiarised the data collected, generated initial codes, searched for themes, reviewed themes, defined themes and reported the results. Findings: Through data analysis, researchers identified six themes which help to address the research questions regarding the types of first aid and health training courses, quality issue, awareness of first aid in the community and the future delivery of first aid training. Practical implications: This study provided two implications on both micro and macro levels. At the micro level, training providers can enhance training quality by adopting technology. At the macro level, training providers can continue to advocate and facilitate the integration of first aid into the formal education curriculum. The last section addressed the limitations of this study and provided future research directions. Originality/value: This study provided insights about the development of the first aid and health education and training. Health-care training providers and policymakers could benchmark the findings from this study and develop appropriate measures for promoting health education.