Resuscitation science, education and technology leaders unite to bring tailored and personalized learning approach to resuscitation quality improvement solutions

Organizations create True Adaptive™ learning to deliver more effective, efficient CPR knowledge and skills instruction for healthcare providers

DALLAS, Oct. 14, 2020 – Today, the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical opened the next chapter in their mission-driven innovation story, announcing a collaborative relationship with Area9 Lyceum, a global leader in learning technology, for the company to deliver a more streamlined, personal and tailored resuscitation learning experience for healthcare providers — RQI® True Adaptive™ learning. The relationship will be coordinated by RQI Partners LLC, a partnership between and service provider for the Association and Laerdal.

With a shared mission to help save lives from cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives, and Laerdal Medical, a global trailblazer in providing healthcare solutions, have co-developed and brought innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs to healthcare providers for decades, introducing the HeartCode® portfolio in the mid-1990s and the Resuscitation Quality Improvement® Program (RQI®) in 2015. The organizations formed RQI Partners in 2018 to expand the reach of these innovative programs.

The RQI program and HeartCode products will now provide healthcare providers with the True Adaptive learning experience, which will be powered by technology from Area9 Lyceum. The globally leading Area9 Rhapsode™ learning and publishing platform uses artificial intelligence to deliver a customized, personalized and efficient approach that is driven by an individual’s specific knowledge level and unique needs. Employing a vast range of variables and an advanced algorithm, Area9’s platform measures time-to-completion, confidence and self-awareness to more accurately assess and respond to each learner’s individual competence and performance.

“Healthcare providers are at different stages on their path to high-quality CPR and it is imperative that we recognize, accommodate and adjust to the varying degrees of competence,” said Clive Patrickson, RQI Partners’ chief executive officer. “One size does not fit all. Working with Area9 and employing Rhapsode will help the American Heart Association and Laerdal build the True Adaptive experience that maximizes each provider’s learning potential, increases their knowledge retention, and ultimately amplifies collective lifesaving and patient outcomes.”

RQI Partners will work closely with Area9 on instructional design and curating resuscitation education content, which was organized and prepared by the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical. Adopting Rhapsode as the delivery platform for customized content will help learners identify opportunities for improvement, leading to more rapid achievement of verified CPR competence and performance, hallmarks of the RQI program and HeartCode portfolio.

“Like the educational solutions from the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, our adaptive learning technology is grounded in science,” Ulrik Juul Christensen, Area9 Lyceum’s chief executive officer, said. “The new collaboration offers an opportunity to merge our science, expertise and technology to help further develop the already market-leading RQI and HeartCode programs. Together, we are bringing a new, exciting and engaging learning model to market and keeping pace with the current healthcare and digital transformation by accelerating adaptivity adoption to influence the way healthcare organizations teach and people learn.”

The American Heart Association most recently collaborated with Area9 to develop and deliver a single adaptive learning course to support and coincide with the Association’s scientific statement and interim guidance on resuscitation of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. An addition to the RQI portfolio, the course is supported on a range of electronic devices and platforms, including learning management systems, desktops, mobile telephones, tablets and multiple browser options.

The release of this course established a benchmark and helped catalyzed the formation of the relationship between the American Heart Association, Laerdal Medical, RQI Partners and Area9. This union will leverage Rhapsode’s learning platform to create and deliver world-class personalized, moment-by-moment resuscitation education to capture and refine healthcare providers’ complete range of competencies, leading to improvements in cardiac arrest survival.

For more information about the RQI program and HeartCode portfolio, visit www.rqipartners.com. To learn more about Area9 and Rhapsode, visit www.area9lyceum.com.

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About Area9 Lyceum
Area9 Lyceum builds 21st century skills and competencies through the world’s first four-dimensional learning platform, Area9 Rhapsode. Based on more than 20 years of research into human factors and cognition, our AI-based platform delivers truly personalized learning at scale – cutting training time in half, guaranteeing proficiency, and making lasting impacts on careers and business outcomes. For more information, visit www.area9lyceum.com.

About Laerdal Medical
Laerdal is dedicated to our mission of helping save lives. For more than 60 years, Laerdal has remained a world leader in healthcare education, training, and therapy solutions. Laerdal develops products, programs, and digital solutions designed to increase survival and improve patient outcomes. By implementing evidence-based solutions within the areas of resuscitation, patient safety, and global health, we address the changing needs of healthcare organizations and help build the competence of healthcare providers, educators, and lay rescuers. Together with our partners, we believe we can help save one million more lives, every year. Laerdal is a global company in 25 countries worldwide with the head office located in Stavanger, Norway. For more information, visit www.laerdal.com.

About RQI Partners LLC
RQI Partners LLC is a partnership between the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, positioning the organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the impact of their lifesaving mission. The company blends the Association’s leadership in science and resuscitation education with Laerdal’s expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful and innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs. For more information, visit www.rqipartners.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

For Media Inquiries, contact:
American Heart Association: Monica Sales; C: 817-291-7289; [email protected]
RQI Partners: Stephanie M. Brown; C: 214-984-0013; [email protected]