Background and aim of the work: Every year around 275 thousand people in Europe and 420 thousand
in the United States are affected by sudden cardiac arrest. Early electrical defibrillation before the arrival
of emergency services can improve survival. Training the population to use the AED is essential. The training
method currently in use is the BLSD course, which limits training to a population cohort and may not be
enough to meet the requirements of the proposed Law no. 1839/2019. This study aims to verify the effectiveness
of an online course that illustrates the practical use of the AED to a population of laypeople. Methods: An
observational study was conducted to compare a lay population undergoing the view of a video spot and a cohort
of people who had participated in BLSD Category A courses. The performances of the two groups were
measured immediately after the course and 6 months later. Results: Overall, the video lesson reported positive
results. Six months later the skills were partially retained. The cohort that followed the video lesson showed
significant deterioration in the ability to correctly position the pads and in safety. Conclusions: Although improved
through significant reinforcements, the video spot represents a valid alternative training method for
spreading defibrillation with public access and could facilitate the culture of defibrillation as required by the
new Italian law proposal
