Improving first aid skills: How local conceptions of risk influence user engagement with the first aid app in Israel and Malta

Abstract

First Aid Apps enable the public to learn skills that could save their lives and increase their resilience. A comparative review of the adoption of the First Aid App by Red Cross National Societies revealed context specific factors influencing local app engagement. Drawing on these differences, this paper compares engagement in response to critical events in Israel and Malta. Whilst Malta has been consistently ranked as the second most natural disaster risk free nation, Israel has been plagued by a variety of ongoing conflict related crises. This paper discusses local attitudes to risk and their influence on community engagement with the app. The evidence indicates that local conceptions of risk not only influence app engagement but also the motivations for adopting the app, the development of the app and the ability to retain the public’s interest in the app.