The American Heart Association (AHA) is partnering with organizations to provide low-cost online training to health professionals and for everyday bystanders to help save lives in the case of opioid overdoses. AHA says the courses quickly and effectively teach the public and healthcare professionals about the opioid epidemic and what they can do to help someone who has had an overdose.
The self-directed bystander course will discuss recognizing an opioid overdose and its treatment – including the use of high-quality CPR and reversal agents as appropriate. The healthcare provider course will also provide detailed information about the opioid epidemic, opioid-use disorder, pathophysiology of pain and opioids that lead to addiction, as well as provide an overview of complementary therapies. The course – intended for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physicians and additional mid-level healthcare providers – will enable providers on the front lines of this medical crisis to improve patient care and save more lives.
“As the provider of resuscitation training for more than 90 percent of U.S. hospitals, the American Heart Association is stepping into this crisis and filling the need in standardized education for healthcare professionals,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., MPH, the association’s chief medical officer for prevention. “Arming as many people as possible with up-to-date, practical knowledge on what to do – both immediately and as follow up – is imperative to saving lives and improving outcomes.”
Deaths from opioid overdoses, due to respiratory and cardiac arrest in these patients, have reached crisis proportions and created the urgent need for science-based, standardized education. The AHA trains more than 22 million people globally every year by educating healthcare providers, caregivers and the general public on how to respond to cardiac arrest and first aid emergencies. These new courses, coupled with the existing resuscitation training from AHA, provides more comprehensive preparation for the general public, healthcare providers and emergency responders.
Opioid Education for Healthcare Providers (https://elearning.heart.org/course/319) costs $20, and Opioid Education for Non-Clinical Staff and Lay Responders (https://elearning.heart.org/course/320) costs $10.
