ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Blog

If you are an emergency care instructor, you may already know that 2015 is a “Guidelines” year. These guidelines are a big topic here at HSI as the issuance of new standards and treatment recommendations for CPR and first aid has a direct impact on our ASHI and MEDIC First Aid training programs. Today’s blog post offers some background on this important process and what you can expect.

What the guidelines are

• Standards for training lay providers in CPR were first established in 1974 by the American Heart Association, and are revised about every five years.
• Over time standards have changed into guidelines, a global expert consensus process has developed, and first aid treatments have been added.
• The next formal release of the newest guidelines will occur on October 15, 2015.

How it happens

• The current guidelines process is organized by the 
International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).
• Experts worldwide collaborated to identify, review, and weigh the evidence that will lead to a publication of a consensus on science and revised treatment recommendations, and also address the effectiveness of emergency care education and training.
• An HSI representative participated in the evidence evaluation process as a member of the 2015 ILCOR First Aid Task Force.
  

How this affects your Training Center

• HSI uses the new guideline release as an opportunity to create completely new versions of our core training programs.
• In addition to incorporating all of the guideline changes, we add new program features and other improvements.
• HSI does not know in advance what the guidelines changes will be.
• Training Center directors and instructors should expect some changes in CPR, AED, and First aid treatment recommendations for adults and children as well as in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professionals (CPR Pro), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ASHI ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (ASHI PALS).

All about HSI’s update process

• Once the new guidelines are released, we will review and identify any changes within them and create a freely available “Guidelines Summary” document outlining those changes.
• To get you materials as quickly as possible, we will also create interim training materials that incorporate many of the changes into the existing training process.
• The
 interim materials will be available to authorized ASHI and MEDIC First Aid instructors who successfully complete their G2015 Instructor Update Course and whose Training Center director has paid for the G2015 Instructor Update Course.
• This course may be completed in an online or classroom format.
• Depending on the extent of the guideline changes, we plan on making the G2015 Instructor Update Course available in November, 2015.
• The G2015 Instructor Update Course cost is not the same as a reauthorization fee. If instructors need to reauthorize their status as an ASHI or MEDIC First Aid authorized instructor, they should do so following the usual process.
• Once the course is successfully completed and paid for, the authorized instructor or instructor trainer may begin to use the interim materials for teaching and certification until
 the
 G2015
 training
 programs
 are
 available.
• The
 use
 of
 the interim
 materials
 is
 optional; the release
 of
 new
 science
 and
 treatment
 recommendations
 does
 not imply
 that 
the
 use 
of previous 
recommendations
 is not effective or unsafe, so instructors
 can
 also continue
 to
 teach and certify using the
 G2010
 materials
 until
 the
 G2015
 training
 programs
 are
 available.
• Updated training programs will begin to be released in 2016. At that time, instructors and instructor trainers will be required to complete the G2015 Instructor Update Course if they have not done so already, and Training Centers must purchase the new G2015 programs.

We will offer webinars, newsletters, and emailed communications to keep you informed. Please check your contact information in Otis to be sure we have your most current email address, so you won’t miss any info during the guidelines process.