The Critical Need for Disaster Medicine in Modern Medical Education.

Current escalation of natural disasters, pandemics, and humanitarian crises underscores the pressing need for inclusion of disaster medicine in medical education frameworks. Conventional medical training often lacks adequate focus on the complexities and unique challenges inherent in such emergencies. This discourse advocates for the integration of disaster medicine into medical curricula, highlighting the imperative to prepare health-care professionals for an effective response in challenging environments. These competencies encompass understanding mass casualty management, ethical decision-making amidst resource constraints, and adapting health-care practices to varied emergency contexts. Therefore, we posit that equipping medical students with these specialized skills and knowledge is vital for health-care delivery in the face of global health emergencies.

Update in Disaster Rehabilitation: An International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Perspective.

ABSTRACT: Disasters (both natural and man-made) are escalating worldwide, resulting in a significant increase in survivors with complex and long-term disabling injuries. Physical and rehabilitation medicine is integral in disaster management and should be included in all phases of the disaster management continuum, which comprise mitigation/prevention, preparation, response, and recovery phases. This Joel A. DeLisa Lecture was presented on February 11, 2021, at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Scientific Meeting-"Physiatry 21." The lecture highlights the synergistic position of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Disaster Rehabilitation Committee, to provide crucial leadership and governance role in liaison and coordination with the World Health Organization (and other stakeholders), to provide rehabilitation input during future disasters.

Disaster eHealth: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Although both disaster management and disaster medicine have been used for decades, their efficiency and effectiveness have been far from perfect. One reason could be the lack of systematic utilization of modern technologies, such as eHealth, in their operations. To address this issue, researchers' efforts have led to the emergence of the disaster eHealth (DEH) field. DEH's main objective is to systematically integrate eHealth technologies for health care purposes within the disaster management cycle (DMC). OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify, map, and define the scope of DEH as a new area of research at the intersection of disaster management, emergency medicine, and eHealth. METHODS: An extensive scoping review using published materials was carried out in the areas of disaster management, disaster medicine, and eHealth to identify the scope of DEH. This review procedure was iterative and conducted in multiple scientific databases in 2 rounds, one using controlled indexed terms and the other using similar uncontrolled terms. In both rounds, the publications ranged from 1990 to 2016, and all the appropriate research studies discovered were considered, regardless of their research design, methodology, and quality. Information extracted from both rounds was thematically analyzed to define the DEH scope, and the results were evaluated by the field experts through a Delphi method. RESULTS: In both rounds of the research, searching for eHealth applications within DMC yielded 404 relevant studies that showed eHealth applications in different disaster types and disaster phases. These applications varied with respect to the eHealth technology types, functions, services, and stakeholders. The results led to the identification of the scope of DEH, including eHealth technologies and their applications, services, and future developments that are applicable to disasters as well as to related stakeholders. Reference to the elements of the DEH scope indicates what, when, and how current eHealth technologies can be used in the DMC. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive data gathering from multiple databases offered a grounded method to define the DEH scope. This scope comprises concepts related to DEH and the boundaries that define it. The scope identifies the eHealth technologies relevant to DEH and the functions and services that can be provided by these technologies. In addition, the scope tells us which groups can use the provided services and functions and in which disaster types or phases. DEH approaches could potentially improve the response to health care demands before, during, and after disasters. DEH takes advantage of eHealth technologies to facilitate DMC tasks and activities, enhance their efficiency and effectiveness, and enhance health care delivery and provide more quality health care services to the wider population regardless of their geographical location or even disaster types and phases.

Awareness of family physician residents of their roles in disaster health management: a cross-sectional study in Turkey.

AIM: Family physicians are role models for their societies in disaster management and have an important place in it. This study was carried out during the specialty training of the residents, who are currently family physicians fighting against COVID-19 in the field, and was aimed to identify the awareness levels of residents regarding the roles and duties of family physicians before, during, and after disasters and to increase their awareness of disaster medicine and management. BACKGROUND: The duties and responsibilities of a family physician in disasters should be a part of their specialty training. This study has contributed to the limited literature, increased awareness, and opened a new avenue of research for studies to be conducted with family physicians by demonstrating the current situation of family physicians in disaster management. METHODS: This is an observational and descriptive study. The knowledge, experience, opinions, willingness, attitudes of the residents, and the awareness levels of the residents regarding their roles and duties in a disaster were evaluated along with their sociodemographic information. The surveys were applied in the family medicine clinics of the all residents by the interview method (n = 233). FINDINGS: Only 9.2% of the residents stated that they had received training on disaster medicine where they currently work. The knowledge level of the residents on this subject was found as 'Unsure'. In total, 80% of the residents stated that family physicians should have a role in disasters. It was found that 83.3% of the residents had never joined a disaster drill, 94.3% had never participated in making or applying a disaster plan, and 97.7% had never worked in any disaster. CONCLUSION: The residents participating in the study lacked not only information on disaster management but also experience. The residents' willingness to receive training, work voluntarily, significantly question the curriculum, and specialize in disaster medicine were a positive outcome.

Behavioral Health and Response for COVID-19.

Research from financial stress, disasters, pandemics, and other extreme events, suggests that behavioral health will suffer, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Furthermore, these symptoms are likely to exacerbate alcohol or drug use, especially for those vulnerable to relapse. The nature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and vast reach of the virus, leave many unknows for the repercussions on behavioral health, yet existing research suggests that behavioral health concerns should take a primary role in response to the pandemic. We propose a 4-step services system designed for implementation with a variety of different groups and reserves limited clinical services for the most extreme reactions. While we can expect symptoms to remit overtime, many will also have longer-term or more severe concerns. Behavioral health interventions will likely need to change overtime and different types of interventions should be considered for different target groups, such as for those who recover from COVID-19, health-care professionals, and essential personnel; and the general public either due to loss of loved ones or significant life disruption. The important thing is to have a systematic plan to support behavioral health and to engage citizens in prevention and doing their part in recovery by staying home and protecting others.

Pilot study of a longitudinal integrated disaster and military medicine education program for undergraduate medical students.

Disaster medicine education in medical curricula is scarce and frequently nonexistent. It is reasonable to initiate educational approaches for physicians in this field at the medical school level. An understanding of disaster medicine and the health care system during massive casualty incidents has been recommended as an integral part of the medical curriculum in the United States and Germany.The goal of the reformed curriculum was to develop a longitudinal integrated disaster and military medicine education program extending from the first year to the sixth year based on previously separated clinical and military medicine topics. Emergency medicine physicians, military emergency medical technicians, and Tactical Combat Casualty Care instructors formed an interprofessional faculty group and designed a learning curriculum.A total of 230 medical students participated in the revised disaster preparedness curriculum. Satisfaction survey response rates were high (201/230, 87.4%). Most of the free-text comments on the program were highly appreciative. The students considered the number of teaching hours for the whole program to be adequate. The students showed significant improvements in knowledge and judgment regarding disaster medicine after the program.We found that medical students were highly interested, were appreciative of, and actively participated in this longitudinal integrated disaster and military medicine education program, but gaps existed between the students' scores and the educators' expectations. The educators believed that the students needed more disaster preparedness knowledge and skills.

General practitioners in the field: A qualitative study of general practitioners' experiences in disaster healthcare.

METHOD: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with a purposive sample of GPs who had experienced disasters in Australia or New Zealand (NZ) between 2009 and 2016. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight GPs reported diverse and effective contributions to disaster-response efforts. Four main themes emerged: GPs responded spontaneously to contribute; GPs adapted their usual expertise to provide disaster healthcare; personal and professional challenges experienced were consistent across different types of disaster; and unlike Australian GPs, NZ GPs felt better integrated and valued in the broader disaster-response system. DISCUSSION: The results document GPs' roles and experiences in disaster healthcare and highlight how GPs contribute to meeting crucial healthcare needs in communities during and following disasters. Better defining, integrating and supporting GP roles in disaster systems is likely to improve disaster healthcare.

Lessons Learned from a Medical Response Team 45 Days Post Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the lived experience of a grassroots, non-governmental disaster medical team (DMT) through a research lens and share practical lessons learned, based on the DMT's experience to support and inform future response teams. METHODS: Forty-five days after Hurricane Maria, a non-governmental DMT provided primary medical care via community based pop-up clinics and home visitations in 5 different areas of Puerto Rico. Observational data, photo images, and debriefing notes were collected and documented in the response team's daily activity log. Field notes were coded using a descriptive coding method and then categorized into 2 domains specific to public health and medical diagnosis. RESULTS: Medical aid was provided to nearly 300 (N = 296) residents. Field note observations identified exhaustion related to living conditions and the exacerbation of underlying conditions such as reactive airway diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and depression due to the compounding effects of multiple post-disaster triggers. During home visitations, feelings of sadness and helplessness were identified secondary to natural disaster trauma and current living conditions. CONCLUSION: Our non-governmental DMT displayed similar characteristics demonstrated by federal DMTs post natural disaster. A number of strategic lessons learned emerged from the public health intervention important to future non-governmental DMTs.

Research on National Disaster Life Support Course in China.

OBJECTIVES: To provide scientific, theoretical support for the improvement of medical disaster training, we systematically analyzed the National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) Course and established a training curriculum with feedback based on the current status of disaster medicine in China. METHODS: The gray prediction model is applied to long-term forecast research on course effect. In line with the hypothesis, the NDLS course with feedback capability is more scientific and standardized. RESULTS: The current training NDLS course system is suitable for Chinese medical disasters. After accepting the course training, audiences' capabilities were enhanced. In the constructed GM (1,1) model prediction, the developing coefficients of the pretest and the posttest are 0.04 and 0.057, respectively. In light of the coefficient, the model is appropriate for the long-term prediction. The predicted results can be used as the basis for constructing training closed-loop optimization feedback. It can indicate that the course system has a good effect as well. CONCLUSIONS: According to the constructed GM model, the NDLS course system is scientific, practical, and operational. The research results can provide reference for relevant departments and be used for the construction of similar training course systems.

Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Disaster Medicine.

The occurrence of major emergencies often leads to environmental damage, property damage, health challenges and life threats. Despite the tremendous progress we have made in responding to the many challenges posed by disasters in recent years, there are still many shortcomings. As an emerging technology widely used in recent years, virtual reality (VR) technology is very suitable for many fields of disaster medicine, such as basic education, professional training, psychotherapy, etc. The purpose of this review article is to introduce the application of VR technology in the disaster medical field and prospect its trend in the future.

Team Rubicon Medical Response to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.

On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall as a category 5 hurricane on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. Hurricane Dorian matched the "Labor Day" hurricane of 1935 as the strongest recorded Atlantic hurricane to make landfall with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles/h.1 At the request of the Government of the Bahamas, Team Rubicon activated a World Health Organization Type 1 Mobile Emergency Medical Team and responded to Great Abaco Island. The team provided medical care and reconnaissance of medical clinics on the island and surrounding cays….

Response Functions in Disasters: Iran Flash Flood 2016.

OBJECTIVE: Heavy rain and flash flooding left behind a trail of disaster in the western and south-western provinces of Iran in April 2016. The purpose of this study is to highlight the response functions that should be undertaken when such disasters strike. METHODS: Secondary data, such as documents, organizational reports, and forms completed during response to the flood visits, were the methods of data collection in this study. Then, collected data were analyzed according to the response functions to disasters. RESULTS: The study found that a strong disaster response function was the early warning system, by the Iran Meteorological Organization, announced 1 week before the flood. Weaker functions were the lack of coordination among response organizations and the lack of a safety officer in the Incident Command System structure during the flash flood. CONCLUSIONS: The list of the disaster response functions identified by this study should aid the decision makers and first responders in facing natural or man-made disasters and enable them to better prepare for response functions in the future disasters.

Peer-Reviewed Validation of a Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies.

INTRODUCTION: The Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies, developed in 2017 (CFDET 2017), aims to unify and facilitate agreement regarding the identification, structure, and relationships between various evaluation typologies found in the disaster setting. A peer-reviewed validation process sought input from international experts in the fields of disaster medicine, disaster/emergency management, humanitarian/development, and evaluation. This paper discusses the validation process, its results, and outcomes.Research Problem:Previous frameworks, identified in the literature, lack validation and consistent terminology. To gain credibility and utility, this unique framework needed to be validated by international experts in the disaster setting. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was designed to validate the framework. An initial iterative process informed an online survey which used a combination of a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Pre-determined consensus thresholds, informed by a targeted literature review, provided the validation criteria. RESULTS: A sample of 33 experts from 11 countries responded to the validation process. Quantitative measures largely supported the elements and relationships of the framework, and strongly supported its value and usefulness for supporting, promoting, and undertaking evaluations, as well as its usefulness for teaching evaluation in the disaster setting. Qualitative input suggested opportunities to strengthen and enhance the framework. There were limited responses to better understand the barriers and enablers of undertaking disaster evaluations. A potential for self-selection bias of respondents may be a limitation of this study. The attainment of high consensus thresholds, however, provides confidence in the validity of the results. CONCLUSION: For the first time, a framework of this nature has undergone a rigorous validation process by experts in three related disciplines at an international level. The modified framework, CFDET 2018, provides a unifying framework within which existing evaluation typologies can be structured. It gives evaluators confidence to choose an appropriate strategy for their particular evaluation in the disaster setting and facilitates consistency in reporting across the different phases of a disaster to better understand the process, outcomes, and impacts of the efficacy and efficiency of interventions. Future research could create a series of toolkits to support improved disaster evaluation processes and to evaluate the utility of the framework in the real-world setting.

Disaster Medicine: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature From 2016.

OBJECTIVE: The Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Disaster Medicine Interest Group, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response - Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) team, and the National Institutes of Health Library searched disaster medicine peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify, review, and disseminate the most important new research in this field for academics and practitioners. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus databases were searched with key words. Additional gray literature and focused hand search were performed. A Level I review of titles and abstracts with inclusion criteria of disaster medicine, health care system, and disaster type concepts was performed. Eight reviewers performed Level II full-text review and formal scoring for overall quality, impact, clarity, and importance, with scoring ranging from 0 to 20. Reviewers summarized and critiqued articles scoring 16.5 and above. RESULTS: Articles totaling 1176 were identified, and 347 were screened in a Level II review. Of these, 193 (56%) were Original Research, 117 (34%) Case Report or other, and 37 (11%) were Review/Meta-Analysis. The average final score after a Level II review was 11.34. Eighteen articles scored 16.5 or higher. Of the 18 articles, 9 (50%) were Case Report or other, 7 (39%) were Original Research, and 2 (11%) were Review/Meta-Analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This first review highlighted the breadth of disaster medicine, including emerging infectious disease outbreaks, terror attacks, and natural disasters. We hope this review becomes an annual source of actionable, pertinent literature for the emerging field of disaster medicine.

US Governmental Spending for Disaster-Related Research, 2011-2016: Characterizing the State of Science Funding Across 5 Professional Disciplines.

OBJECTIVE: Disaster-related research funding in the United States has not been described. This study characterizes Federal funding for disaster-related research for 5 professional disciplines: medicine, public health, social science, engineering, emergency management. METHODS: An online key word search was performed using the website, www.USAspending.gov, to identify federal awards, grants, and contracts during 2011-2016. A panel of experts then reviewed each entry for inclusion. RESULTS: The search identified 9145 entries, of which 262 (3%) met inclusion criteria. Over 6 years, the Federal Government awarded US $69 325 130 for all disaster-related research. Total funding levels quadrupled in the first 3 years and then halved in the last 3 years. Half of the funding was for engineering, 3 times higher than social sciences and emergency management and 5 times higher than public health and medicine. Ten (11%) institutions received 52% of all funding. The search returned entries for only 12 of the 35 pre-identified disaster-related capabilities; 6 of 12 capabilities appear to have received no funding for at least 2 years. CONCLUSION: US federal funding for disaster-related research is limited and highly variable during 2011-2016. There are no clear reasons for apportionment. There appears to be an absence of prioritization. There does not appear to be a strategy for alignment of research with national disaster policies.

The need for dried plasma - a national issue.

Recent studies have demonstrated that early transfusion of plasma or RBCs improves survival in patients with severe trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Time to initiate transfusion is the critical factor. It is essential that transfusion begin in the prehospital environment when transport times are longer than approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Unfortunately, logistic constraints severely limit the use of blood products in the prehospital setting, especially in military, remote civilian, and mass disaster circumstances, where the need can be most acute. US military requirements for logistically supportable blood products are projected to increase dramatically in future conflicts. Although dried plasma products have been available and safely used in a number of countries for over 20 years, there is no dried plasma product commercially available in the United States. A US Food and Drug Administration-approved dried plasma is urgently needed. Considering the US military, disaster preparedness, and remote civilian trauma perspectives, this is an urgent national health care issue.

Aerial drones for blood delivery.

Aerial drone technology is now in use to improve medical care, especially blood delivery. The use of aerial drones is broader than just this and includes aerial photography, express shipping and delivery, disaster management, search and rescue operations, crop monitoring, weather tracking, law enforcement, and structural assessment. This wide use promises to accelerate and, ideally, reduce the cost of technological advances of drones. By doing so, drone use offers the opportunity of improving health care, particularly in remote and/or underserved environments by decreasing lab testing turnaround times, enabling just-in-time lifesaving medical supply/device delivery, and reducing costs of routine prescription care in rural areas.