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NCT Number: NCT07649616

Increasing Law Enforcement Application of Automated External Defibrillators (AED)s for Cardiac Arrest

The goal of this study is to learn if an automated external defibrillator (AED) training adjunct video can improve law enforcement self-efficacy, the likelihood of AED application overall, and decrease disparities in women.

Participants will be asked to:

* complete a brief initial survey * view an AED training adjunct video * complete another survey following the video

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Key information

Conditions

Heart Arrest, Out-Of-Hospital Cardiovascular Diseases Defibrillators Heart Arrest Heart Diseases Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan, 48202, United States

Location contact

Amanda L. Missel, PhD, MS, RN

CONTACT

[email protected]

517-477-0632

Amanda L. Missel, PhD, MS, RN

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Professor and Associate Dean for Research, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

About this study

The investigators will conduct a pilot study to examine the efficacy of an education intervention, based on new 2025 American Heart Association guidelines, to improve the likelihood of AED application. The intervention and surveys will be delivered asynchronously online. The investigators will use a short pre-intervention survey to gather information about participants' likelihood and self-efficacy to apply an AED overall and specifically to women. The investigators will also gather basic demographic information including gender, Basic Life Support certification status, and experience responding to cardiac arrests. Participants will then watch a short video, followed by a post-intervention survey to examine changes in likelihood and self-efficacy to apply an AED. All three components will be delivered within the same Qualtrics survey (i.e., pre-survey, video, post-survey).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Law enforcement officers from agencies in the greater Portland area served by the Portland Cardiac Arrest Epidemiologic Registry
  • aged 18 years of age and older

Exclusion criteria

  • none

Treatment and study plan

AED training adjunct

Behavioral

Participants will complete a brief survey, then watch an AED training adjunct video, followed by a repeat survey. All components are delivered asynchronously online. The investigators will prospectively evaluate using an existing observational registry used for quality improvement and research, the Portland Cardiac Arrest Epidemiologic Registry (PDX Epistry).

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Confidence to Attach Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Pads on a Woman

    Time frame: Immediately following the AED training intervention

    The primary training outcome is, "I am confident I can always attach AED pads in the correct position on a woman". This question is a modified question from a validated tool to measure changes in self-efficacy, the Basic Resuscitation Skills Self-Efficacy Scale, which measures "can do" using 0-100.

  2. Change in AED Application

    Time frame: Prospectively over 18 months following AED training intervention

    Our primary care outcome is, change in AED application by law enforcement among adult cases with law enforcement on-scene before Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrival overall and stratified by gender relative to the same geographic region in the preceding 5-year period. The outcome will be measured using the Portland Cardiac Arrest Epidemiologic Registry (PDX Epistry), an existing observational registry used for quality improvement and research.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in AED Application by AED Training

    Time frame: Prospectively over 18 months following AED training intervention.

    Change in AED application by law enforcement among adult cases with law enforcement on-scene before Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrival overall and stratified by gender for counties that received the AED training adjunct versus control counties. The outcome will be measured using the PDX Epistry, an existing observational registry used for quality improvement and research.

Other outcomes

  1. Modified Basic Resuscitation Skills Self-Efficacy Scale

    Time frame: Immediately following AED training intervention

    Measures "can do" using 0-100 for key skills. The investigators revised the scale based on the scope of study.

    In an emergency situation, I am confident I can always… (rate each on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most confident):

    • Assess the victim's level of consciousness within 5 seconds
    • Assess for breathing and differentiate between effective and agonal respirations in no more than 10 seconds
    • Perform CPR according to current guidelines
    • Provide effective chest compressions (correct hand placement, depth, recoil and speed)
    • Switch on the AED and start using it as soon as it is available without delay
    • Follow AED prompts in the right order

    7a. Attach AED pads in the correct positions on a man

    • Ensure nobody touches the victim while the rhythm is being analyzed
    • Deliver a rapid and safe shock to the victim keeping visual check and giving verbal commands
    • Resume, without hesitation, appropriate post-shock actions according to current guidelines

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Amanda L. Missel, PhD, MS, RN

CONTACT

[email protected]

313-577-3103

Joshua Lupton, MD, MPH, MPhil

CONTACT

[email protected]

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Wayne State University

Other

Collaborators

  • American Heart Association
  • Oregon Health and Science University

Registry information

Official study title

Increasing Law Enforcement Application of Automated External Defibrillators for Cardiac Arrest

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jun 16, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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