Mass-Gathering Medical Care Provided by a Collegiate-Based First Response Service at an Annual College Music Festival and Campus-Wide Celebration

Abstract

BackgroundThere is insufficient research on medical care at mass-gathering events (MGEs) on college and university campuses. Fun Day is an annual celebratory day held at Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, New York USA), a small liberal arts college in the Northeastern United States. Fun Day is focused around an outdoor music festival; students also congregate and celebrate throughout the surrounding campus. To improve care and alleviate strain on local resources, a model was developed for the provision of emergency care by a collegiate-based, volunteer first-response service – Skidmore College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) – in coordination with a contracted, private ambulance service.Study/ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to: (1) analyze medical usage rates and case mixes at Fun Day over a four-year period, and to (2) describe the collegiate-based first response model for MGEs.MethodsData were collected retrospectively from event staff, college administrators, and Skidmore College EMS on event-related variables, patient encounters, and medical operations at Fun Day over a four-year period (2014-2017).ResultsAnnual attendance at the music festival was estimated at 2,000 individuals. Over four years, 54 patients received emergency medical care on campus on Fun Day, and 18 (33.3%) were transported to the emergency department. On-site contracted ambulances transported 77.8% of patients who were transported to the emergency department; mutual aid was requested for the other 22.2% of transports. The mean (SD) patient presentation rate (PPR) was 7.0 (SD = 1.0) per 1,000 attendees. The mean (SD) transport-to-hospital rate (TTHR) was 2.0 (SD = 1.0) per 1,000 attendees. Thirty (55.6%) patients presented with intoxication, seven (13.0%) with laceration(s), and five (9.3%) with head trauma as the primary concern. Medical command was established by volunteer undergraduate students. Up to 16 volunteer student first responders (including emergency medical technicians [EMTs]) were stationed on campus, in addition to two contracted ambulances at the Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) levels. Operational strategies included: mobile first response crews, redundant communication systems, preventative education, and harm reduction.ConclusionHigh medical usage rates were observed, primarily due to alcohol/illicit substance use and traumatic injuries. The provision of emergency care by a collegiate-based first response service in coordination with a contracted, private ambulance agency serves as an innovative model for mass-gathering medical care on college and university campuses.FriedmanNMG, O’ConnorEK, MunroT, GoroffD.Mass-gathering medical care provided by a collegiate-based first response service at an annual college music festival and campus-wide celebration. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(1):98–103.

The Development of PRIMA - A Belgian Prediction Model for Patient Encounters at Mass Gatherings

“…2 With these definitions in mind, it is clear that MG events intrinsically have the potential for significant health risks for all involved and pose a challenge for those involved in the provision of medical care. 3 When approving an MG, the government guarantees that the medical support at this event meets national standards of quality of care and response time. Belgian law obliges municipal governments to identify and analyze the risks involving the MG event.…”

Medical care at a mass gathering music festival

“…Our study is the first to examine the medical emergencies within the visitor population of a large music festival over 7 consecutive years. To our knowledge, only one study has investigated a college music festival over a 4-year period [10].…”

“…Most studies reported patient presentations at a given music festival for only 1 or 2 years [6][7][8][9][10], and/or focus on special topics, such as the mental health of visitors or drug use [6,7,11,12]. Longitudinal observations from music festivals over several consecutive years are sparse [10]. It is unclear (yet important for predicting medical demand) if the epidemiology of health related events at an annual music festival changes over the course of several years.…”

Validation of a Belgian Prediction Model for Patient Encounters at Belgium’s Largest Public Cultural Mass Gathering

“…They pose a challenge for those responsible for providing in-event- health services (IEHS). 1 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a MG as “a gathering of persons at a specific location for a specific purpose for a defined period of time” with “the number of people attending to be sufficient to strain the planning and response resources of the community, state or nation hosting the event.” 2 The straining of planning and response resources is further emphasized by Arbon who adds that a mass gathering is “a situation during which crowds gather and where there is the potential for a delayed response to emergencies because of the limited access to patients.” 3 Starting in 2006, municipal governments in Belgium have been obliged to perform a risk assessment involving each MG on its territory. 4 All too often, the variables used for this risk assessment stem from a police or firefighter service risk assessment and do not meet the medical needs for a MG.…”