Mission: Lifeline System Local Community

Updated:Sep 19,2016

Within the ideal STEMI and cardiac resuscitation system of care, patients and the local community would:

  • Recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and cardiac arrest.
  • Realize the importance of activating emergency medical services (EMS) via 9-1-1 promptly and getting treatment quickly.
  • Initiate hands-only CPR.
  • Be familiar with their local hospital's role in the delivery of STEMI and cardiac resuscitation care.

See our Local Community Frequently Asked Questions

To learn how to be an active participant in your community's system of care, visit our Local Community Member site.

The ideal system would:

  • Promote culturally competent educational efforts with clear and consistent messages
  • Use multiple strategies to increase skills and awareness of CPR
  • Implement and maintain public access to defibrillators as well as a training program
  • Include patient representatives on community planning coalitions
  • Provide highly coordinated and patient-centered care

In addition to the above, an ideal cardiac resuscitation system local community would:

  • Have a designated Community Champion for cardiac resuscitation.
  • Have a multidisciplinary group to monitor and improve cardiac resuscitation care process and outcome.
  • Use multiple strategies to increase skills and awareness of CPR, including but not limited to CPR in schools, Hands-Only CPR public awareness campaign, credentialed CPR courses, with a goal of achieving >50% bystander CPR.
  • Implement and maintain a public access defibrillation program including training, regular maintenance and usage tracking.
  • External certification not self-designation as part of cardiac resuscitation system of care.

Barriers and Solutions for the Local Community of a Cardiac Resuscitation System include:

BARRIER:  Lack of Bystander CPR

EXAMPLES

  • Lack of recognition of cardiac arrest
  • Lack of knowledge of basic first aid emergency care/CPR
  • Apprehensive about performing CPR correctly
    • "
  • Afraid to perform Mouth to Mouth ventilations, because of catching a communicable disease   

 SOLUTION

  • Identify community champion to drive change
  • Promote public education on Hands Only www.handsonlycpr.org and CPR Anytime Video
  • Health Care providers provide community CPR education
  • Promotion of Survivor Meetings
  • Increase Public Awareness campaigns
  • Promote CPR and PAD programs for the community, schools and workplaces
BARRIER:  Lack of Public Access to Defibrillators

EXAMPLES

  • Lack of education on need
  • Lack of knowledge on how to use AED
  • Lack of funding to purchase AEDs and train the public
  • No system for maintaining AEDs
  • Need for Local and State Government support and commitment for sustainability
  • Discrepancy of who “owns” AED’s for access, maintenance and repair

SOLUTION

  • Identify community champion to drive change
  • Community education and training on AED use
  • Identify potential grant structure for purchasing AED equipment
  • Strategically position AEDs and assign personnel responsible for upkeep and monitoring
  • Community standards for strategic AED placement in public settings
  • Dispatcher assisted identification of nearest AED location