Impact of HIPAA on local research for survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims who receive defibrillation from lay public responders in Fresno County, California

This study was a descriptive investigation that examined how data collection for a previous Fresno County lay-public automated external defibrillator (AED) study was halted as a result of government-mandated HIPAA implementation on April 14, 2003. The study collected and examined descriptive data related to the HIPAA-Privacy Rule's implemented changes to local research processes and protocols and its specific impact on the study of lay-public AED use on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and their survival rates.;The researcher reviewed questionnaire responses completed by a select group of local healthcare professionals from the following agencies: American Ambulance, Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency, Community Regional Medical Center, St. Agnes Medical Center, and University Medical Center.;Data collected in the study show that the HIPAA-Privacy Rule regulations have changed the process of clinical research and caused the discontinuation of a study on lay-public AED use in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.