Which Training Would You Choose? ASHI or AHA?

ASHI vs AHA "THE FACTS"

American Heart Association CPR or American Safety and Health Institute CPR Certification – Which CPR Training Should You Choose?

It’s time to take a CPR class and you start searching for the best one.  As you search, you come across a certification that you have never heard of before: American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI).  The certification is valid for 2 years and they offer CPR in the same levels as the American Heart Association  (AHA) and the American Red Cross (ARC).  But is it legitimate?

Although many people may not have heard of the American Safety and Health Institute, it is gaining more and more popularity throughout the country and even the world.  It is an internationally recognized and also endorsed by the United States Coast Guard.  ASHI CPR and first aid courses are based off the American Heart Association guidelines just as all other CPR training courses.



So if you have the choice between the American Heart Association and the ASHI CPR class, which one should you choose?  The answer lies in what type of training you need.  Although the ASHI classes are gaining popularity, the healthcare CPR market is dominated by the American Heart Association.  So, until hospitals realize that ASHI CPR classes are equivalent to those of the AHA, it is best to stick with the AHA BLS for Healthcare Provider Course.

For all other CPR courses, the American Safety and Health Institute will satisfy the requirements.  Better yet, the ASHI classes are usually less expensive than those of the AHA.

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The American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI) facts vs. the American Heart Association (AHA) “Gold Standard” perception.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) was formed in 1992 to provide a forum for liaison between resuscitation organizations worldwide. It is the task of this committee to decide, scientifically, the best way to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). The American Heart Association (AHA) serves as the American liaison to this committee and is therefore responsible for bringing back and reporting the agreed upon guidelines to the country for training and education purposes. These guidelines are then adopted by several groups or organizations, which ultimately develop their own curriculum or ways to teach CPR. The three major groups involved in the adaptation and development of this CPR curriculum include AHA, American Red Cross (ARC) and American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI).

Acting as a liaison, it is clear that the AHA does not posses the power to accredit, approve or recognize the curriculum developed by these other groups (other than their own), nor does not have the authority to deem one organization’s curriculum better the next (including their own). Therefore, it does not mean that certification from other organizations is not valid or does not meet CPR guidelines standards, but rather, by conforming to the Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) guidelines of what to teach, provided by the AHA as a liaison to ILCOR, other organizations can provide an effective and comparable teaching method to that of the AHA.

ASHI training programs meet the most current International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines and the American Heart Association (AHA) ECC, CPR, and First Aid Guidelines. ASHI training programs also meet the most current recommendations of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Standards for First Aid and CPR training of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.

HSI is a nationally accredited organization of the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS). CECBEMS is the national accrediting body for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) continuing education courses and course providers. CECBEMS accreditation requires an evidence-based peer-review process for continuing education programs comparable to all healthcare accreditors. ASHI basic and advanced life support training programs for healthcare providers are CECBEMS approved.

In addition to meeting these global standards, an ASHI and MEDIC First Aid representative participated in the 2010 International Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations, hosted by the AHA. An ASHI and MEDIC First Aid representative was a volunteer member of the AHA and American Red Cross 2010 International First Aid Science Advisory Board and a contributor to the 2010 Consensus on First Aid Science and Treatment Recommendations.