Be Prepared: Is Your Hospital Ready To Save Lives When Or If Disaster Strikes?

August 1, 2007 – 10:06 pm | posted in Aid / Disasters

A new study in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that hospital management plans for mass casualty incident (MCI) disasters must be improved not only for orthopaedic surgeons but all medical personnel and staff.

“Disaster planning in most hospitals is often rudimentary and frequently geared to the minimal requirements of federal agencies and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations,” said co-author, Christopher T. Born, MD, department chief of orthopedic trauma at Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University in Providence. Dr. Born said solutions that could provide improved health care if disaster should strike include:

– Injury and surgical management education in medical school/residency training

– Disaster experience or simulated mock training exercises

– Hospital commitment to education, training and interdisciplinary communications for all personnel

– A hospital disaster management plan with roles/functions that all personnel understand

– An “incident command system” with the same structure/language of national and local disaster response organizations, so responders can understand each other and work better together in times of a crisis

– Community disaster awareness through preparedness exercises

“The most important service that orthopaedic surgeons, other medical professionals and staff can provide is to help their institutions in preparing for a disaster with MCI’s,” said Dr. Born. “Personnel do not have to be on-site treating a patient; they can support response activities by engaging in preparing the hospital or inter-agency planning, training personnel, gathering resources or purchasing equipment,” said Dr. Born.

Researchers emphasize that the focus during a disaster should be an “all hazards” approach to adapt and apply fundamental disaster management principles universally but with flexibility. “The goal of treatment in a disaster setting must change from the ‘greatest good for each individual to the greatest good for the greatest number,’” added Dr. Born. Medical response includes:

– Search and rescue

– Evacuation of an area, making it easier to care for the injured

– Stabilization, then triage, working with most salvageable cases first

– Definitive understanding of injury and proper medical care

Orthopaedic surgeons and hospital personnel who are interested developing a structured disaster plan and command center for their hospital may visit:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/what_is_ics.html (The Incident Command System Tool which is helpful when institutions are developing their own Hospital Incident Command System)

http://ndms.dhhs.gov (The National Disaster Medical System, which assists in disasters with team, supplies, equipment)

http://www.aha.org/aha/issues/Emergency-Readiness/resources.html (The American Hospital Association’s resource page for emergency readiness)

More information about the AAOS

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