PM1010: Advocacy: Assessing Best Practices and Barriers to Creating School and Community Partnerships for a Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Program: A National Project ADAM Study

Background: Project ADAM® (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) is a national collaborative to improve outcomes of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Given Project ADAM’s (PA) expansion, we sought to identify effective methods to partner with community leaders and understand barriers to engagement. Our aim is to establish best practices to guide new affiliates and optimize site operations and partnerships.

Methods: We conducted a survey of all PA sites in early 2020. Medical Directors (MD) and Program Coordinators (PC) were included for generalizability. The survey consisted of 20 questions covering the domains of communication, goals for partner organizations, barriers to partnership, staff time commitments, and PA program needs.

Results: Thirty-one members responded: 14 MD and 17 PC. E-mail was the predominant method to initiate (58%) and maintain (87%) contact with partner organizations, though telephone (21%) and in-person (14%) visits were common for initiating contact. Presentations at regional school board, Emergency Medical Services, and athletic director meetings and testimonials from students/family were powerful engagement tools. Barriers to partnership varied, revolving around limited school budgets, overburdened school staff, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Limited time, difficulty coordinating schedules, and lack of dedicated resources were common challenges for PA sites. Only 36% of MD receive formal institutional recognition of PA effort.

Conclusion: PA’s partnership with community stakeholders creates unique opportunities and challenges. Optimal communication methods should be identified early for each school, with regular interaction for long-term success. Institutional support, with recognition of PA efforts, is key for success. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic created numerous challenges and may lead to future operational changes.