Advocacy in Sports Cardiology
Key result
Advocacy for state-level legislation mandating CPR education, AED access, and emergency action plans is critical to improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
Key Points
- Highlight the critical role of legislative advocacy in sports cardiology and establish nationwide policies to mitigate exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest in competitive athletes.
- Evaluated national and state advocacy frameworks, including the NFL-led Smart Heart Sports Coalition and American College of Cardiology legislative initiatives.
- Examined state-level adoption of emergency action plans, cardiopulmonary resuscitation training requirements, and automated external defibrillator mandates.
- Prior to the rollout of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, only 7 states had existing policies addressing automated external defibrillator access within 1-3 minutes, rehearsed emergency action plans, and coach resuscitation training.
- Advocacy initiatives are actively targeting 30 states during the 2023 to 2024 state legislative sessions to secure funding and enforce cardiac emergency readiness policies.
PICO
P
Population
Sudden cardiac arrest in athletes
I
Intervention / Comparator
Advocacy for CPR education, AED access, and Emergency Action Plans
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“Higher profile cases, like Damar Hamlin and Bronny James, generate a visceral response from the general public. People are wondering how common, what causes and how can we prevent sudden cardiac death? Compound that with the new emphasis on legislative advocacy on automated external defibrillator access and emergency action planning, it seemed like a good time to do a contemporary update.”
“Have an emergency action plan that includes an automatic defibrillator at the competition site and proper training for coaches and trainers to operate the equipment. If it's locked in the trainer's office at the high school and the cross-country team is running two miles away, it does no good.”
JMJeff MillerEVP of public affairs and policy, NFL
“The addition of new partners to the coalition means more action, more impact and wider reach. We're looking forward to building upon our initial progress and continuing to advocate for these life-saving measures at the state-level. Our clubs and league remain committed to these efforts and to student athletes across the country.”
Implication
Advocacy and legislative efforts are critical to implementing widespread CPR training, AED access, and emergency action plans to prevent sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
Abstract
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Coverage & sources
Journal, society, and media accounts. Useful signal, not independent expert judgment.
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Cite This Study
Dineen et al. (2024) conducted an editorial in Sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. Advocacy for CPR education, AED access, and Emergency Action Plans was evaluated. Advocacy for state-level legislation mandating CPR education, AED access, and emergency action plans is critical to improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.