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Medical Direction Medical Oversight and Quality Improvement The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared AEDs for public use with a physician's
prescription. The physician also can offer leadership and medical expertise to ensure the safe implementation of an AED program.
Other medical professionals, such as occupational health nurses provide "medical oversight"(medical support and
supervision) of the program as long as a physician provides the prescription.  What is Medical Oversight? The role and time commitment of the physician or healthcare provider offering medical support and oversight for the
program varies depending on the size and other characteristics of the program. His or her main responsibility is to oversee
the initial implementation process. Someone else should be designated program coordinator and be responsible for day-to-day
program implementation. As an advocate of the AED program, the medical professional
should be able to provide the energy and dedication needed to help get the program started, and then provide ongoing guidance
and support. He or she also can serve as a visible spokesperson for the program. The program's medical professional also
approves the initial AED training. His or her level of involvement in hands-on training often depends on the size of the program,
the availability of other appropriate instructors, and the professional's management style. In some programs he or she
may be directly involved in training sessions. In others he or she simply may provide guidance to the program coordinator. Medical Professional's Key Duties -Internal Medical Emergency Response Plan (MERP) -Training plan for targeted responders -Maintenance plan for the AEDs -Quality review and improvement plan for the AED program -Internal communication
plan
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