Disaster Management in Healthcare... Summary of Doctoral Research by Sara Geale, Ph.D.

As Chair of the Walden University Dissertation Committee for Sara Geale, Ph.D..I am pleased to share this very brief SUMMARY prepared by Dr. Geale that describes her timely research. My thanks to her for sharing this Summary. Questions or comments may be directed to her at sara.geale@waldenu.edu or sara.geale@aramco.com
Robert E. Hoye, Ph.D.

Summary

A Case Study of a Modular Logistical Systems Approach to
Community Disaster Response

Background
One of the most basic problems with disaster management is the organization and distribution of supplies (Hogan & Burstein, 2007). The shortage of supplies may lead to a situation in which the emergency response is ineffective, and the result is increased human suffering, morbidity, and mortality. Emergency responders agree that it is important to develop strategies to accelerate supply response to deal with unpredictability of demand (Ergun, Karkus, Keskinoca, Swann, & Villarreal, 2010). Supply needs in a disaster situation change significantly according to the type and the phase of the disaster. The supply and demand structure is both complicated and challenging because of the highly unpredictable nature of the time, location, and magnitude. Logistics planning in emergency medical situations involves dispatching needed commodities to the affected areas in a manner that ensures the right resources get to the right places at the right time.
Problem Statement
The problem addressed was how an emergency medical services (EMS) division of a health care organization can best use a logistical or supply management system to meet the changing response needs of multiple-victim emergencies and disasters.
Methodology
A case study was conducted to describe the development of a modular systems approach to community disaster response. Emergency medical responders who were participants in this study identified and discussed a problem in the supply of and dispatch of disaster medical supplies to the scene of an event in a timely, cost-effective manner. A list of likely supplies was compiled and a trial-and-error process used to determine how many patients could be treated with the supplies in a bag that could be easily pulled by one person and lifted into and out of the back of an emergency vehicle. Descriptive case study methodology was used to evaluate the system and consider its effectiveness in the realm within which it operates. The study also considered generalizability of the system to other emergency medical responders.
Results
The results of this case study illustrated that victims of disaster, as well as the responding medical team, benefit from the significantly increased efficiency of the preparedness of the system. Responses can address nearly every contingency and treat a variety of medical emergencies. The system can meet the needs of trauma caused by a variety of disasters and can be scaled up or down to meet the changing needs of the scenario. The system enables greater efficiency for addressing human needs and is structured to efficiently accommodate ongoing refinements.
Conclusion
With disasters on the increase globally, it is important that communities everywhere prepare for them. EMS has long recognized systems in place to deal with day to day emergencies. Disasters, however, overwhelm those established systems. Disaster from a medical perspective is an imbalance of supply and demand. EMS must have systems and process in place that can deal with this imbalance (Auf Der Heide, 2007; Hogan & Burstein, 2007; Perry & Quarantelli, 2005). The modular color-coded bag system is part of planning and preparation for disasters. It is part of the system approach to the management of disasters. Findings showed that prepacking of medical supplies in modular containers for rapid transfer to multiple victim emergencies could increase the effectiveness of the EMS. The implications for positive social change are that a systems approach to disaster management has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality through effective disaster response at the community level.

References
Auf Der Heide, E. (2007). Disaster response planning and coordination. In D. E. Hogan & J. L. Burstein (Eds.), Disaster Medicine (pp. 95-126). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Ergun, O., Karkus, G., Keskinoca, P., Swann, J., & Villarreal, M. (2010). Operations research to improve disaster supply chain management. Retrieved from http://eu.wiley.com
Hogan, D. E., & Burstein, J. L. (2007). Basic perspectives on disaster. In D. E. Hogan & J. L. Burstein (Eds.), Disaster medicine (pp. 1-11). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Perry, R. W., & Quarantelli, E. L. (2005). Foreword. In R. W. Perry & E. L. Quarantelli (Eds.). What is a disaster? New answers to old questions (pp. 13-18). Bloomington, IN: Xlibris.