# Impact of a 9-1-1-Integrated Mobile App on Bystander CPR: Implementation of PulsePoint in an Urban County

## TL;DR

A mobile app called PulsePoint was implemented in an urban county to notify bystanders of cardiac arrests, leading to improved bystander CPR rates compared to before and national averages.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of PulsePoint in increasing bystander CPR rates in an urban setting.

## Key findings

- Bystander CPR rates increased to 56.8% after PulsePoint deployment, up from 42.9% before.
- Laypersons performed defibrillation in 60% of prehospital cases.
- An average of 3.3 eligible responders were within 0.25 miles of cardiac arrest victims.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Early bystander CPR helps to restore perfusion and improves the likelihood of favorable survival and neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). One strategy to improve bystander CPR is the use of crowd-sourcing mobile CPR applications such as PulsePoint, which notifies bystanders of nearby OHCA. In 2019, PulsePoint was deployed in an urban county. Prior to its deployment, bystander CPR rates were 42.9% in this county. This descriptive analysis seeks to analyze bystander intervention after PulsePoint implementation in an urban county. Methods: This retrospective observational study included all PulsePoint activations in Alachua County from June 2020 to September 2023. Patient characteristics and survey data were extracted from EMS patient care reports, hospital electronic medical records, and Pulsepoint dispatch and responder data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze patient and responder characteristics, PulsePoint activation circumstances, and patient care. Results: Of 225 PulsePoint activations, 95 (42.2%) were confirmed OHCA. Among these, 54 (56.8%) received bystander CPR prior to EMS arrival. Out of 15 prehospital defibrillations, laypersons defibrillated 9 patients (60.0%). There was an average of 3.3 eligible PulsePoint responders within a 0.25-mile radius of the OHCA victim. A majority of PulsePoint survey respondents were formally trained in CPR and automated defibrillator use. Conclusions: The data from our urban EMS experience demonstrate that bystander CPR rates were higher after PulsePoint deployment (56.8%) than before. Our bystander CPR rate was also higher than the national average.