The 2025 AHA guidelines more directly address disparities in lay rescuer CPR training and response. The recommendations call for targeted training and awareness efforts in racial and ethnic communities, low socioeconomic areas, and linguistically isolated populations. They also specifically recommend addressing barriers to performing CPR on women through education and public awareness.

This matters because survival is not just about the science of CPR. It is also about whether people are trained, confident, and willing to act. By naming these barriers directly, the AHA is signaling that improving survival requires both better technique and better public readiness across all communities.

References
American Heart Association. Highlights of the 2025 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC.