Status of the implementation of automated external defibrillators in South Korean health/fitness facilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of automated external defibrillator (AED) implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities; for facilities with AEDs, to investigate risk management practices associated with AED implementation; and for facilities without AEDs, to investigate constraints to AED implementation. A questionnaire measuring the status of AED implementation, risk management practices for facilities with an AED(s), and constraints to AED implementation was developed and administered to 436 health/fitness facility managers in South Korea. The participants were selected by using random sampling with stratified populations. Results showed that the status of AED implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities was only 8.7% (38 of 436). The distribution of AEDs by location and ownership was uneven. The level of manager's knowledge of AED laws was also low. With regard to risk management practices, about 65% of the managers responded that there was one or more staff members trained to use an AED(s). However, less than 5% (17 of 436) health/fitness facilities were ready to provide defibrillation with an AED by an on-duty trained staff member in an emergency situation. Results of the factor analysis generated a five factor model for perceived constraints to AED implementation including Cost, No Need, Lack of Support, Lack of Information, and Management Concerns. The study elicited the following five managerial constraints to AED implementation: (1) Lack of information associated with required AED certification and training; (2) Lack of an AED instructor; (3) Lack of information regarding supervisory responsibility; (4) Lack of information associated with protection from liability; and (5) Additional staff certification and training. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge on AED implementation in South Korean sport venues in general, and health/fitness facilities specifically. An overall result from this study showed that health/fitness facility managers tend to diminish the probability of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and the need for AED implementation in their facilities. The study may contribute to an increase in overall AED implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities via facility managers' increased attention to the use of AEDs and the potential for SCA. In the future, the enactment of additional AED regulatory laws in sport venues will also contribute to an increase in AED implementation in South Korean sport facilities.