The Health Information and Quality Authority has started a nationwide public consultation on a health technology assessment of public access defibrillation.

HIQA’s Director of Health Technology Assessment Dr Máirín Ryan said: “The health technology assessment of public access defibrillation aims to advise on the best public access defibrillation programme for Ireland, based on Irish and international clinical evidence, data and literature. It takes into account the effectiveness and safety of a number of programme combinations, which involve placing Automated External Defibrillator (AEDs) in community spaces, and will look at the medical benefits, cost effectiveness and budget impact.”

“HIQA was asked to take on this health technology assessment by the former Minister of Health, James Reilly, to inform decision making on the Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013.”

“The health technology assessment undertaken by HIQA reviews data on the frequency of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Ireland, the existing availability of AEDs and the current management of sudden cardiac arrest in Ireland.”

The Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013 lists the types of premises and venues that would be required to install and maintain an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a small portable device which can be used to restore normal heart rhythm to someone who had undergone a cardiac arrest. The Public Health Bill has the capacity to impact 43,000 premises throughout Ireland.

HIQA is calling on the public to give feedback on findings from the report. The public consultation on the health technology assessment of public access defibrillation will run until 17 October 2014. The report, along with details on how to take part in the consultation, is available at hiqa.ie. Following completion of the public consultation process the report will be finalised and form the basis of the advice from the Authority to the Minister, to inform matters relating to the Bill.

ENDS

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
01 8147480 / 086 2447623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

• HIQA is the statutory organisation in Ireland with a responsibility to carry out national health technology assessments (HTAs) and to develop guidelines for the conduct of HTAs across our healthcare system.
• Cardiac arrest is a sudden loss of heart function due to a malfunction of the electrical system of the heart. It is usually caused by an irregular heart rhythm which reduces blood flow to the brain, organs and tissues, and can result in death within minutes.
• An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a small, portable device that analyses the heart rhythm of a person who has experienced cardiac arrest and delivers an electric shock through the chest wall. The electrical current momentarily stuns the heart, stopping the abnormal rhythm and helping the heart resume normal electrical activity.
• Public access defibrillation programmes are designed to improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by reducing the time to defibrillation.  They increase the availability of AEDs in the community so a person who experiences a cardiac arrest may be defibrillated by a member of the public before the emergency services arrive.
• In 2012 the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest attended by the emergency services in Ireland was 5.2%, which is slightly lower than the international average. (According to data from the National Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register)
• The Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013 specifically identifies premises which will be required to install and maintain AEDs. These include hospitals, places of worship, hospitality and entertainment venues, sports clubs, transport stations, retail premises and public buildings. The Bill imposes an obligation on the owners of these premises to install a defibrillator, ensure that it is maintained and available for use, display signs on its location on how to use it, and provide training to employees. It has the capacity to affect 43,000 premises throughout Ireland.