What Is AED Program Management and Do You Need It?

Answers to questions you may have about maintaining your AED

What is AED program management?

AED program management helps you keep track of all the requirements for owning an AED in your state.  Maintaining and managing your AED properly ensures you will be covered by your state’s Good Samaritan laws, which we’ll explain later in this article.  

An AED program management subscription is a software-based investment that helps ensure you’re protected in terms of liability and helps keep your AEDs in working order. It offers an all-in-one solution by helping you keep track of all the requirements in your state, stay on top of maintenance for your devices and get medical direction and oversight from a team of physicians for true peace of mind.  

What forms can AED program management take?

AED program management can take a variety of forms, from basic paper-based record-keeping to advanced, web-based solutions like Arch, which help manage AED programs. Here are some options:

• A spreadsheet or paper log that tracks dates of maintenance, electrode pad and battery expiration and other key data points
• Recurring calendar reminders based on your AED’s maintenance schedule
• Software programs like Arch, which are excellent for managing anywhere from one AED to thousands spread over multiple locations.  

While paper forms or spreadsheets may seem like a simple solution, they depend on a manager’s memory to keep them updated and perform routine maintenance on the AED.  A program management tool sends regular reminders and easily allows for electronic updates in a database, which exists separate from the business, ensures records are kept up to date regardless of changes in personnel.

What are the benefits of using AED program management?

• Maintaining and managing your AED properly ensures you will be covered by your state’s Good Samaritan laws.
• When you stay on top of your AED’s routine maintenance, your AED will be ready to rescue when a cardiac arrest emergency occurs.
• If job duties change, a well-documented AED management program is easily passed along to new AED managers.

What are Good Samaritan laws?

Good Samaritan laws protect AED users and owners from lawsuits which could arise from the use of an AED.  They vary by state and may include any or all of the following requirements:

• Physician-approved written policies and procedures manual
• CPR training and certification (who needs to be trained varies by state)
• Submission of reports for review by physicians after the AED is used (varies by state)
• Performing and documenting readiness checks every 30 days
• Registering your AED with the local dispatch center or EMS agency

While not complex, these requirements can be time-consuming if you are the person in charge of managing one or more AEDs. Enrolling in an AED program management service keeps your responsibilities manageable and your AEDs ready to save a life when needed.

Do you need AED program management?

The short answer is, if you own an AED, yes, you need some form of AED program management. All AEDs need to be managed to stay compliant with Good Samaritan laws and to make sure you remain covered under the unit’s warranty.  How you choose to manage your AEDs is up to you.

Managing one AED:

Maintaining a single AED, while not complicated, can sometimes be overlooked as you go about your day-to-day routine. Since you may not think about the AED every day, you may not notice an issue until it is time to use the AED. The middle of a crisis the very worst time to realize the electrode pads have expired or missing or, worse, the battery is dead.

A subscription service like Arch sends simple, friendly monthly reminders to look at the AED and check the expiration dates of disposables like the battery or electrode pads, and replace if necessary. This means your AED will be ready if you need it.

Managing multiple AEDs:

Maintaining multiple AEDs can be a daunting task. They may have varying expiration dates, there may be different brands of AEDs throughout your area of responsibility, there may even be multiple locations in different states to track.

An AED program management subscription puts everything in one place, and allows administrators of your AED program easy access to input check results, report usage, track training and certification, and know no matter where a cardiac emergency occurs, your organization is ready for it.

What is medical direction?

Simply put, medical direction is having a physician:

1. Oversee your AED program
2. Review the data generated by the AED during a rescue to be sure the AED operated according to its system protocols.  

Some states require medical direction as part of the requirements to be covered under that state’s Good Samaritan laws. While it is possible to find a physician on your own, in states where medical direction is required, having a subscription service working for you on compliance ensures you are backed by a team of physicians as part of the service.

It sounds like an AED program management subscription would be really helpful. Can I get a subscription through AED Superstore?

We’re glad you asked! AED Superstore offers ArchTM Medical Direction and Program Management, a web-based tool which features:

• Medical direction, which includes:
  • AED prescription
  • Guidance from a team of state-specific physicians
  • Written policy and procedure manuals that are approved and kept up to date by our medical direction team
  • Review of post-event by one of our on-staff physicians
• Automatic AED registration for Good Samaritan compliance:
  • Registered with your local emergency medical services
  • Registered with your local 911 call center
• Reminders:
  • Monthly AED check reminders to assure your AED is functioning accurately
  • Email reminders on expiration dates for AED batteries and electrode pads
• Online dashboard, which allows you to:
  • Track your AED’s expiration dates
  • View placement maps
  • Review readiness check logs
  • Easily reorder electrode pads and batteries
  • Track certification status of trained responders
• Free loaner AED if your AED is used in a resuscitation attempt, delivered overnight

AED Superstore’s ArchTM  Medical Direction and Program Management is staffed by experts who are there for you to answer all your questions and keep your program running smoothly.

AED program management is an important part of AED ownership. The key to remembering to maintain your AED is to keep its management simple. An easy solution like a subscription service with friendly reminders means your AED will always be ready to rescue if it is ever needed.