Decision Support Framework for Deployment of Emergency Medical Teams After Earthquakes

Abstract

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:sec id="S1935789320000968_as1" sec-type="other"> <jats:title>Objective:</jats:title> <jats:p>The effectiveness of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) is strongly related to their time of arrival, and usually only few teams arrive within 24-48 h postdisaster. The decision to deploy and the scale of deployment rely heavily on context and nature of the event and consequently a rapid assessment of needs/gaps is critical to an appropriate and customized response.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1935789320000968_as2" sec-type="other"> <jats:title>Methods:</jats:title> <jats:p>In this study, we describe a desk-based study that provides: (1) knowledge about the medical needs that can be anticipated according to the phases of the disaster that is not rich in literature; and (2) a decision support framework for the deployment of EMTs to earthquakes that combines the results of a literature research and a Delphi study involving the opinion of 12 experts in the field.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1935789320000968_as3" sec-type="other"> <jats:title>Results:</jats:title> <jats:p>The resulting framework is a tool that will help better mapping the configuration to the needs on the ground at the time the team becomes operational in the field and will assist those responsible for deploying and/or accepting EMTs in making informed decisions on deployment after an earthquake.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S1935789320000968_as4" sec-type="other"> <jats:title>Conclusions:</jats:title> <jats:p>With additional research the framework approach may be adapted to other types of international relief such as to deploy a Search And Rescue (SAR) team.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

What is the inter-rater agreement of injury classification using the WHO minimum data set for emergency medical teams?

“…Twenty-five case vignettes were developed initially by one of the researchers who has an emergency medicine background as well as knowledge of disaster medicine. The cases were created using: the relevant syllabus areas of the UK curricula, followed by emergency medicine and surgical trainees18 19; alignment with material from an ongoing study of disaster resource management (whose preliminary findings have been presented at conference proceedings20); feedback from colleagues with extensive field experience; and feedback from a pilot test of cases with from 14 practitioners who commonly contribute to the management of injured patients (emergency physicians, general practitioners, anaesthetists and surgeons). The final wording of the vignettes was approved by a second researcher who has an emergency medicine background and extensive experience in trauma research.…”

Urban search and rescue operations (USAR) in collapsed buildings after the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye

“…El envío de los EMT debe de ser siempre a requerimiento de países afectados y tras un análisis adecuado sobre su pertinencia y utilidad, basado en herramientas de ayuda a la decisión 11 Tras una catástrofe la ayuda comienza inmediatamente (Figura 2) 12 . En un primer lugar son los propios ciudadanos en los primeros minutos seguidos de los equipos de emergencia local y protección civil, siendo apoyados en las siguientes horas por equipos nacionales o regionales llegando la ayuda internacional en los siguientes días tras la solicitud oficial de asistencia internacional por el gobierno.…”

“…Diagrama de flujo de activación y coordinación de instituciones en situaciones de catástrofes. Basado en la propuesta de respuesta de equipos USAR pertenecientes a INSARAG(11).Fuente: elaboración propia. AFAD: Ministry of interior Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency; LEMA: Local Emergency Management Authority; UNDAC: United Nations Disaster Assement and Coordination; RSB: Response Support Branch; OCHA: United NAtions Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; GDACS: Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System; INSARAG: The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group; VOSSOC: Virtual On-Site Opreations Coordination Centre; OSOCC: On-Site Operations Coordination Centre; RDC: Recepcion and Departure Centre; UCC: USAR Coordination Cell; EMT: Emergency Medical Team; USAR: Urban Search and Rescue; AECID: Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo; BUSF: Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras.…”

Optimization of Patient Flow through EMT Facilities Applying Dynamic Behavioral Simulation Models

“…1 Method/Description: It provides a dynamic behavioral simulation model to assess the interactions between patients, staff members, and the related dynamic movements/interactions with the health care facility, each of them having specific features also in relation to the emergency condition faced. 2 Data used in this study consist of literature-based information concerning patient characteristics (eg, age), the variation of expected medical conditions and severity in relation to the time and typology of the emergency, 3 layouts of existing facilities (eg, UKMed T1), and experimental activities (eg, exercise). Results/Outcomes: The analysis of the results will allow to simulate different scenarios and improve the design of health care facilities layouts in order to prevent overcrowding situation, avoid disease spreading, estimate the optimal number of staff for each task, and investigate interactions between patients and staff.…”