ECC Requirements: Helping ATs Maintain Life-Saving Skills

The importance of Athletic Trainers (ATs) and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) took center stage early this year when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during Monday Night Football. ATs and other medical professionals rushed to the field to offer immediate medical care. Bills assistant AT Denny Kellington, ATC performed lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Hamlin and restored the player’s pulse, before he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

In this case and in many others, ATs save lives. However, the ECC requirements that help ATs to maintain one of their lifesaving skills is often one of the most common errors made while reporting. In this article, we outline ECC requirements and common mistakes to help ATs avoid these errors this reporting period.

ECC REQUIREMENTS

Annually, ATs are prompted to enter their current emergency cardiac care (ECC) information and upload documentation (card or certificate) to their BOC profile. They can check the clickable “My To Do List” on the BOC profile dashboard to complete any ECC related action items. Continuing education units (CEUs) are not awarded for maintaining ECC.

ATs must be able to:

ECC must include all of the following:

Acceptable ECC providers are those adhering to the most current “International Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care.” Common courses that meet ECC requirements can be found on the BOC website. Full details of this requirement are located in the “Certification Maintenance Requirements” document.

AVOID COMMON ECC AUDIT ERRORS

ATs should avoid these common ECC audit errors as they complete their reporting requirements by Dec. 31, 2023.

If you have any additional questions about your ECC, visit the BOC website or contact the BOC at CE@bocatc.org

• Lapse in coverage – ATs need to maintain continuous certification for the entire reporting period even if they are not currently practicing.
• Incorrect ECC documentation – The BOC can audit ATs up to two years after a reporting period ends, therefore; CE and ECC documentation should be kept for at least two years after the reporting period ends.
• Incorrect course – ATs need to make sure the ECC course is health care provider/professional level and includes demonstrated skills. (Online ECC courses are acceptable if skills are demonstrated and tested in person by a qualified instructor. The in-person test can include video technology.)

This article was originally published in the 2023 summer “Cert Update” newsletter.