Oct 16, 2023

Research find almost three quarters of Australians unaware of nearby AED locations on World Restart a Heart Day

Study by Philips unveils alarming lack of awareness of AED locations and preparedness for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests

Sydney, AUSTRALIA – This World Restart a Heart Day (16 October), Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and Heart of the Nation are calling for Australians to learn where to find accessible AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in public spaces to ensure rapid response in emergencies such as in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases.

A new survey conducted by Philips has revealed a significant gap between awareness and preparedness; while most Australians are aware of the potential of AEDs to save lives, most are unaware of where their nearest AED is located.

Conducted across 1,000 non-healthcare professional respondents nationally across Australia, key findings of the Philips 2023 Where Is Your AED Survey show:

Staggeringly, almost three quarters of Aussies (74%) remain unaware of the nearest AED location to their homes.
More than half the nation (52%) is completely unaware as to whether their workplaces are equipped with an AED; among those who are aware, 58% have no idea of its whereabouts.
Despite over 9 in 10 (95%) Australians believing access to AEDs nearby is significantly important, over half of Aussies (51%) admit they lack confidence in their ability to effectively use an AED to respond to someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
With awareness and confidence at a low, almost the whole country (97%) advocates for an increase in public awareness campaigns aimed at educating people about the locations of AEDs in public spaces.

While we’ve come a long way since Heart of The Nation was founded, there is still more action that needs to be taken across the country to help save lives. With approximately 27,000 Aussies suffering a sudden cardiac arrest every year, by spending less than five minutes to learn where your nearest AEDs can be found, we can help to reduce fatalities.”

“We’re delighted to join forces with Philips to mark World Restart a Heart Day and drive life-saving conversations with the aim of Aussies across the country using the day to learn where their nearest AEDs can be found.”

Greg Page

Founder and CEO, Heart of The Nation

“As the research shows, there is a job to be done for Australians to increase their awareness on how to prepare for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests – by doing so, more lives could be saved simply by knowing where to locate your nearest AED."

“As a worldwide leader in AED solutions, we believe access to lifesaving support should always be just steps away and easy to use –in the workplace, at home or in public spaces, giving both professionals and non-professionals the confidence to quickly respond to a cardiac emergency at any time.”

Matt Moran

Managing Director, Philips Australia and New Zealand

After an off-duty nurse saved his life with a nearby defibrillator, Page continues, “I’ve experienced first-hand how access to nearby defibrators are vital to saving lives. After my cardiac arrest took place in 2020 during my live show, I’ve been shocked into action to help drive awareness, provide training, and showcase the importance of access to AEDs."

With out-of-hospital cardiac arrest being a prevalent global health concern due to 9 in 10 patients not surviving, and most dying before reaching a hospital, raising awareness is vital to ensure more Aussies are prepared for when a cardiac arrest could strike [1].

In cases of OHCA, chances of survival decrease by 3% every minute that defibrillation is delayed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is commenced [2]. When OHCA occurs in the community, lay responders play a crucial role in giving patients a chance of survival, through alerting emergency medical services (EMS) and initiating CPR and early defibrillation [3].

This World Restart a Heart Day, Philips and Heart of The Nation are calling on Australians to educate themselves on where to find the closest AED. To do so, Aussies can find their nearest AED by downloading the Heart of the Nation app.

Notes:

Always follow directions for use according to your AED.
Call 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance if you suspect someone has had a sudden cardiac arrest.
An AED will only deliver a shock to a person with a shockable rhythm.
Follow any verbal or visual prompts displayed on the AED until medical treatment arrives.
Additional emergency treatment such as CPR and rescue breaths may be required until medical treatment arrives.

References

[1] Grasner JT, Lefering R, Koster RW, Masterson S, Bottiger BW, Herlitz J, et al. EuReCa ONE-27 nations, ONE Europe, ONE registry: a prospective one-month analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in 27 countries in Europe. Resuscitation. (2016) 105:188–95. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.06.004; Berdowski J, Berg RA, Tijssen JG, Koster RW. Global incidences of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and survival rates: systematic review of 67 prospective studies. Resuscitation. (2010) 81(11):1479–87. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2010.08.006; Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, et al. heart disease and stroke statistics-2021 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. (2021) 143(8):e254–743. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950; Bray J, Howell S, Ball S, Doan T, Bosley E, Smith K, et al. The epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia and New Zealand: a binational report from the Australasian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (Aus-ROC). Resuscitation. (2022) 172:74–83. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2022.01.011

[2] Larsen MP, Eisenberg MS, Cummins RO, Hallstrom AP. Predicting survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a graphic model. Ann Emerg Med. (1993) 22 (11):1652–8. doi: 10.1016/S0196-0644(05)81302-2

[3] Berg KM, Cheng A, Panchal AR, Topjian AA, Aziz K, Bhanji F, et al. Part 7: systems of care: 2020 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. (2020) 142 (16_suppl_2):S580–604. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000899

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at https://www.philips.com.au/a-w/about/news/home.html .

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About Heart of The Nation:

Heart of the Nation, a not-for-profit charity and social enterprise, is on a mission to transform how Australians respond to sudden cardiac arrest. Committed to increasing survival rates, Heart of the Nation focuses on education, training, and rapid access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within critical minutes.

Through a range of innovative initiatives, Heart of the Nation is empowering communities and individuals to become confident responders. Heart of the Nation operates a national registry of AEDs which are shown on the Heart of the Nation App serves as a national registry of AEDs, enabling users to locate the nearest AED, sign up as a responder, and receive incident alerts. Additionally, the Great Aussie AED Hunt encourages individuals to become AED Hunters, identifying AEDs in their communities and registering them on the app, further expanding access to these life-saving devices.

Coinciding with World Restart a Heart Day, Heart of the Nation is hosting the "World's Largest CPR Course," an exciting online web event set to take place on Monday, 16th October. This event provides an opportunity for Australians to enhance their CPR skills and knowledge. Heart of the Nation's initiatives underscore their dedication to increasing survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest by turning bystanders into confident responders.

Join them in this life-saving journey and help make Australia a safer place for all.

For more information and to get involved, please visit www.heartofthenation.com.au/media or contact: Joanne Struck 0417 571 632 or joanne.struck@heartofthenation.com.au

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