From Bystander to Hero: How Citizen Engagement Can Make a Difference in Medical Emergencies

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Every year, 10,000 Belgians suffer a cardiac arrest. In Belgium, it takes between 8 and 15 minutes for specialised medical help to arrive on the scene after a call to 112.

While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, trained citizens can play a life-saving role for the patient. By using trained bystanders, CPR can be started more quickly and the chances of survival increase substantially. Although several European countries already have effective systems that successfully engage citizens to start CPR in case of cardiac arrest, such a system is not yet available in Belgium. With this citizen science project, we focus on the extraordinary power of all citizens to improve survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

We will explore what prevents citizens from intervening in a medical emergency, try to remove barriers and build trust. We will work with citizens to organise CPR training and pilot a system of citizen responders. In this way, we will combine the extraordinary power of all citizens to increase the chances of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest in Belgium.

Heroes are not born; they are made through compassion and action. Every chest compression, every AED shock, every act of courage, brings us closer to saving a life. Your support and commitment are invaluable for the success of this project.

Together, we can save lives!

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