My research focuses on the role of the public in acute and life-threatening situations, particularly in cases of severe bleeding where early interventions can be crucial for survival. In such situations, it is often ordinary people, laypeople, who are first on the scene and who must make rapid decisions and act under stress and uncertainty before professional help arrives. I study how individuals without formal medical training can be educated and trained to respond more effectively under these conditions.
My research is based on how people perceive, interpret, and react to their surroundings in emergency situations. I examine how factors related to the helper, the injured person, and the situation itself influence people’s assessments, decisions, and actions. A central focus is how individuals without medical training identify and manage life-threatening bleeding, and what barriers and enablers affect their ability to intervene. Much of my work has been carried out in connection with the introduction of the Stop the Bleed concept in Sweden.
The aim of the research is to contribute to the development of education and training that better reflect how people actually think and act in real emergency situations. This involves not only teaching which actions to perform, but also training the ability to recognise when a situation is life-threatening and understand when intervention is needed. In this way, more people can be better prepared to act quickly and effectively when accidents and emergencies occur.
