May 2008
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) is a partner in American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) training. Effective with the release of the 2005 CPR and ECC Guideline materials, HSFC uses the same materials and course processes as AHA training centres.
A current and valid HSFC/AHA provider card is recognized by the HSFC/AHA and can be used for admission to an HSFC/AHA provider renewal or instructor course of the same discipline. An HSFC/AHA Instructor card should be recognized by provincial HSFs and AHA Training Centers in the same way as any Instructor Card issued by any HSF/AHA Training Center. It is expected that the Training Center will provide an orientation to the new instructor and monitor that instructor as per HSFC/AHA training policies before a new card is issued.
If you have questions about this, please contact us at resuscitation@hsf.on.ca or our counterpart at AHA, Jo Haag, Director, Global Training, ECC Programs jo.haag@heart.org
HSFC: Role in International Resuscitation Training
The role of the Heart and Stroke Foundation is to provide information to encourage the development of local Resuscitation training networks, to encourage their self-sufficiency and to communicate scientific and educational information. The HSFC recommends that hospitals, government health ministries, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions or other organizations within the country facilitate the establishment of training networks and hence, increase effectiveness and sustainability.
The HSFC will link instructors, agencies, organizations and heart health networks in an effort to increase communication and strengthen relationships among organizations with an interest in Resuscitation. Through existing relationships with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), Inter-American Heart and other international organizations, the Foundation will identify key regional, national or international organizations with which to link countries with emerging Resuscitation Programs.
The HSFC recognizes that, in its roles as a leader in Resuscitation, there may be occasions when Canadian Resuscitation Instructors and training agencies are requested to conduct Resuscitation courses outside the boundaries of Canada. It is recommended that Resuscitation instructors/training agencies strongly encourage and facilitate the development of an Resuscitation network in the requesting country. Training of individuals should not supersede the development of an Resuscitation network. Where training of individuals is required to develop the network, HSF Resuscitation Instructors will provide the training as long as local initiatives and networks are not compromised.
Resuscitation Courses
Basic and advanced life support courses and course materials can be adapted for use in other countries. Health care organizations in that country should be encouraged to develop a structure for implementing life support training. This may include adapting printed materials, recognizing instructors, conducting training courses, and tracking the number of people trained. Providing a HSF course completion card may serve as a disincentive for other countries to develop their own national structure.
Course Completion Cards
Current policy states that HSF course completion cards may not be issued for courses outside of Canada, except by the Department of National Defense. HSF registered instructors are permitted to utilize HSFC CPR course materials when training outside of Canada. Course completion cards which bear the logo of HSFC or provincial Foundations are not to be used.
Advanced cardiac life support courses (including ACLS, NRP, and PALS) can be delivered in other countries by HSF registered instructors. As with basic life support programs, the HSFC encourages the formation of local training networks and discourages the use of HSF course completion cards.
Reciprocity with the American Heart Association
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the American Heart Association share common goals in emergency cardiac care. The HSFC and AHA have had a reciprocity agreement for many years wherein the American Heart Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recognize providers trained by the other organization. The roots of this agreement spring from the Foundation¡¯s acceptance of the AHA guidelines on CPR and Resuscitation, as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
With respect to instructor reciprocity, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the AHA do not necessarily provide immediate reciprocity. The organizations may require the instructor to participate in an orientation session or team-teaching session to ensure the quality of instruction and to orient the new instructor to the province’s administration system, network structure and materials and resources.
The AHA does not recognize providers or instructors trained by AHA registered instructor outside of the USA. Thus, providers trained by HSF-registered instructors in another country are not automatically granted reciprocity by the AHA as would providers trained by HSFC instructors in Canada. Similarly, reciprocity for instructors trained by HSF-registered instructors-trainers in another country would not automatically be granted reciprocity.
Summary - International Training Conducted by HSF-Registered Instructors
HSFC supports international training and the establishment of sustainable training networks;
HSFC role is to liaise with international agencies involved in emergency cardiac care and to suggest linkages with organizations and institutions to support the training;
HSFC encourages the organizing group/country to issue course completion cards; reciprocity and eligibility issues should be resolved on a country by country basis;
HSFC will only support issuing HSFC course completion cards, by HSF instructors, for courses where all other avenues (as listed above) have been explored and rejected;
Course completion cards may be issued by the Department of National Defense for CPR courses conducted outside Canada.
