A Public Health Response to the Poor Outcomes in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Australia

Abstract

The high incidence and poor outcomes for those who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, plus the knowledge that early bystander treatment improves outcomes, called for a public health response to this issue. The ‘Shock Verdict’ National CPR Campaign sought to improve the rates of bystander compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use, through a social media public health awareness campaign. An 8-week social media campaign centred around an educational video based on a popular Australian comedy drama ‘Rake’ was designed and developed through a partnership between the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Resuscitation Council and the University of Tasmania. To date, there have been over 1 million views on the various social media platforms. The campaign focuses on how untrained bystanders can perform compression-only CPR and use an AED in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, to increase chances of survival. Baseline data collected from an online survey found approximately 50% of respondents rated their CPR knowledge and their confidence to perform CPR as good or fair. Participants were more likely to report a willingness to start hands-only CPR on strangers and unkempt individuals than standard CPR. The campaign provides an example of using social media to communicate a health message, and demonstrates the practicalities of planning such a campaign, including the design of content, and building partnerships. It highlights the importance of collaboration between academic research, health and marketing, and of applying a public health approach to improving clinical outcomes.