Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Scotland are expected to improve thanks to a new tool that will ensure public access defibrillators are placed where they are needed most.
Combining historical data on where cardiac arrests have taken place and the current map of registered defibrillators, PADmap will identify the most effective locations for new public access defibrillators (PADs).
The aim is for a PAD to be no more than a four-minute round trip from someone experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Experts expect this will lead to more lives being saved and help reduce health inequalities across Scotland.
Uneven access
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are a leading cause of sudden death globally. In Scotland, almost 4,000 people each year will undergo a resuscitation attempt in the community.
For every minute a person goes without defibrillation, their chance of survival decreases by around 10 per cent, experts say.
Although PADs can dramatically improve outcomes, the current uncoordinated approach to locating them often leaves high-risk areas underserved. These areas are often socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods and communities with large elderly populations.
PADmap is more than just a tool – it’s a life saver. By ensuring that defibrillators are placed where they are most needed, we can save more lives, reduce health inequalities, and create safer communities for one another. Our communities need more PADs, and we need them to be in the right places.
Dr Gareth Clegg
Principal Investigator of the Resuscitation Research Group at the University of Edinburgh
Pinpoint placement
To address this critical gap researchers from the University of Edinburgh developed PADmap using data from the Scottish Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator network ‘The Circuit’, alongside cutting-edge mathematical optimisation models.
The tool provides anyone responsible for the placement of a PAD with high-quality data on what location will provide the greatest availability of a PAD for potential future cardiac arrests.
If multiple PADs need to be placed, PADmap evaluates the combined impact of each potential location, maximising their availability for cardiac arrests.
The tool has been designed so that high-risk and underserved areas receive priority.
Successful pilot
A recent pilot study in Falkirk found that PADs placed using PADmap recommendations were used more than twice as often as those placed on intuition and experience.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Resuscitation Research Group collaborated with engineers from the University of Toronto and designers at creative agency Daysix to create PADmap. It was funded by the Scottish Government and St John Scotland.
PADmap’s developers are now calling for partnerships and support to expand the platform’s reach beyond Scotland.
This welcome progress will help increase the chances of surviving cardiac arrest outside hospital. Every life lost is a tragedy and we are working closely with our partners to save lives. This new platform can become an invaluable tool in the fight to increase survival rates by improving defibrillator coverage in the highest risk areas, where they are most likely to be needed.
Jenni Minto
Scottish Government Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
PADmap is a game-changer in tackling resuscitation inequalities across Scotland. By strategically placing defibrillators in high-risk and underserved areas, this innovative tool will have a direct impact on improving survival rates and help us to go further faster in ensuring everyone has an equal chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
James Cant
Chief Executive Officer of the Resuscitation Council UK
