Cost-effectiveness of a community first responder system for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Belgium.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health challenge across Europe, with a survival rate of only 8.5% to hospital discharge. Implementing a community first responder (CFR) system, including earlier Basic Life Support and defibrillation, can enhance survival rates and neurological outcomes. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of two scenarios for implementing such a system in Belgium.

Methods

A decision tree and the long-term Markov model were used to evaluate cost-effectiveness by comparing two scenarios with current care standards. Scenario 1 involved an awareness campaign on OHCA, while Scenario 2 included implementing a CFR system with automated external defibrillator (AED) integration, dispatch centre linkage and training for citizen

SUBMITTER: de Greef B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11836846 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature