Abstract 225: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Messaging Study. The Public’s Motivation to Learn CPR/AED Skills and to Act in an Emergency Increases With a Clear Understanding of SCA and the Impact These Skills Have on Increasing Survival

Introduction: Survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside hospitals depends largely on immediate bystander intervention. We measured the impact a layperson-friendly definition of SCA has on increasing perceived importance of CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) skills and the likelihood to act, plus messages that drive action. Hypothesis: Low public awareness of SCA contributes to low survival rates; a layperson-friendly definition of SCA could improve perceived importance of CPR/AED training and likelihood to act in emergencies; identifying messages that motivate action could help reveal an effective communications strategy. Methods: We conducted a quantitative/qualitative study with an online survey of a representative national sample of adults (n=2,232) and in-depth interviews (n=20). Online respondents were exposed to framing questions, then split into two matched panels. One panel was exposed to a layperson-friendly definition of SCA (n=1,128); the other was exposed to 11 discrete message...