American journal of disaster medicine
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Delineation of the advantages and problems related to the use of forward-site operating room-, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)-, radiography-, and mass casualty-enabled disaster vehicles for site evacuation, patient stabilization, and triage. ⋯ The successful utilization of disaster vehicles requires seamless cooperation between the hospital staffing the vehicles and the ambulance service deploying them. They are particularly effective during preplanned deployments to high-risk situations. These vehicles also potentially provide self-sufficient refuges for forward teams in hostile environments.
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Telemedicine and advanced technologies that ensure telepresence have become common practice and are an effective way of providing healthcare services. ⋯ Telemedicine has not been used thus in the management of disasters, despite its great potential. There is an acute need for establishing telemedicine programs in high risk areas for disasters, so that when these disasters strike, existing telemedicine networks can be used, rather than attempting to bring solutions into a chaotic situation postevent.
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Research and field experience have identified a global gap in postdisaster rebuilding of healthcare systems due to the current primary focus on returning devastated community infrastructures to predisaster conditions. Disasters, natural or man-made, present an opportunity for communities to rebuild, restructure, and redefine their predisaster states, creating more resilient and sustainable healthcare systems. ⋯ The Sustainable Healthcare Redevelopment Model can serve as a guideline for delivery of healthcare services following disaster or conflict and use of crisis as a window of opportunity to improve the healthcare delivery system and incorporate resilience into the healthcare infrastructure.
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During major disasters, hospitals experience varied levels of absenteeism among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the immediate response period. Loss of critical hospital personnel, including Emergency Department (ED) staff, during this time can negatively impact a facility's ability to effectively treat large numbers of ill and injured patients. Prior studies have examined factors contributing to HCW ability and willingness to report for duty during a disaster. The purpose of this study was to determine if the degree of readiness of ED personnel, as measured by household preparedness, is associated with predicted likelihood of reporting for duty. Additionally, the authors sought to elucidate other factors associated with absenteeism among ED staff during a disaster. ⋯ Personal household preparedness, while an admirable goal, appears to have no effect on predicted absenteeism among ED staff following a disaster. Having responsibilities for dependents is the most consistent factor associated with predicted absenteeism among female staff. Hospital and ED disaster planners should consider focusing preparedness efforts less toward household preparedness for staff and instead concentrate on addressing dependent care needs in addition to professional preparedness.
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To evaluate mental health outcomes among New Jersey shore residents with health impairments and disabilities after Hurricane Sandy. ⋯ Having physical impairments and health conditions were not directly related to adverse mental health outcomes following Sandy, but having sleep problems, pain, or suicidal thoughts were. Further research is needed to assess the health status of community residents with serious health impairments over time following disasters.