Smartphone alerts to nearby volunteers did not significantly increase bystander CPR or defibrillator use in a two-region randomized trial, according to preliminary results released November 7 by the American Heart Association.
The study tested PulsePoint Respond alongside standard emergency dispatch in British Columbia and Columbus, Ohio. Its primary analysis included 355 people with cardiac arrest in public locations and at least one app user within 400 meters when dispatch occurred.
Before professional responders arrived, a bystander performed CPR or used an automated external defibrillator in 123 of 178 cases with alerts activated, or 69%, and 127 of 177 cases without alerts, or 72%. The adjusted difference was not statistically significant.
About 21% in each group survived to hospital discharge. Researchers noted that bystander CPR was already common without alerts, potentially limiting additional benefit.
The findings concern the public-location response model tested in these regions. They do not establish effectiveness in private homes, rural settings or communities with different volunteer networks. The results were presented as a research abstract and remain preliminary pending a full peer-reviewed publication.