Recent research indicates that lay people benefit more from just 25 minutes of instruction in cardiopulmonary (CPR) procedures than from the standard 4-hour training course. In the study, which involved American Airlines employees, 150 people took a short course taught by DVD that included 5 minutes of training on defibrillator use and 20 minutes of training on CPR techniques. For comparison, 118 people received standard training. Participants were tested on a computerized manikin and evaluated by instructors. Those taking the short course did as well or better than those taking the long course, and memory retention rates were similar 6 months later.

The study was presented at an American Heart Association meeting in November.