Mobile CPR Kiosk Aims to Improve Community Health

A ribbon cutting for the American Heart Association’s Mobile Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Kiosk sponsored by Kettering Health took place on February 13 at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, United States.

The kiosk serves as a tool to teach people how to perform the life-saving procedure, organizers explained.

The Importance of CPR

CPR is an emergency health procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation. It seeks to manually preserve brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is usually recommended in those who are unresponsive, with no breathing or abnormal breathing.

According to health experts, in the event of cardiac arrest, CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. 

“Health-care providers know firsthand the importance of community-based interventions like hands-only CPR,” Alina Joseph, executive director of Kettering Health Heart and Vascular, said. “We see its results every day and the impact that those quick actions make on people’s lives. It’s so important to make learning CPR simple and accessible,” she added.

The first step in any health emergency in the United States is to call 911. But someone experiencing cardiac arrest needs immediate help, and that’s why CPR is so crucial, coordinators of the initiative explained.

“We often measure life in years,” Audrey Starr, executive director of the American Heart Association in Dayton, said. “But when it comes to the heart, it’s the seconds that count.”

The Mobile CPR Kiosk 

Although CPR can save lives, bystanders perform the procedure less than half the time when it is needed. The reason? Joseph said people simply don’t know how. 

“This kiosk takes away that confusion and gives people the confidence to react,” Joseph said. 

According to Starr, the kiosk helps the community in two primary ways. First, it’s mobile. The kiosk will stay in the Dayton, Ohio area for three years, traveling to a new location every three months to reach as many members of the community as possible. 

Secondly, the kiosk is interactive. A video explains how to perform CPR, and a rubber torso measures hand placement, compression depth, and compression rate. The kiosk gives real-time feedback and a final score after 30 seconds. 

“The Mobile CPR Kiosk will provide lifesaving skills for a healthier and safer community,” coordinators said.

Kettering Health is a nonprofit health network based in Dayton, with more than 12,000 employees and 2,100 physicians. The network’s mission is to improve the quality of life of the people in the communities served through health care and education. Kettering Health, managed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, promises to follow in the steps of Jesus by guiding every person to their best health. In addition to the latest medical treatments, patients can find a team of caregivers dedicated to supporting their spiritual and emotional well-being, the network said.

The original version of this story was posted by Kettering Health.