Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-30T01:13:42.935Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Perspectives of Future Physicians on Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness: Challenges of Building a Capable and Sustainable Auxiliary Medical Workforce

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2013

Heather E. Kaiser ,
Daniel J. Barnett ,
Edbert B. Hsu ,
Thomas D. Kirsch ,
James J. James  and
Italo Subbarao
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Although the training of future physicians in disaster preparedness and public health issues has been recognized as an important component of graduate medical education, medical students receive relatively limited exposure to these topics. Recommendations have been made to incorporate disaster medicine and public health preparedness into medical school curricula. To date, the perspectives of future physicians on disaster medicine and public health preparedness issues have not been described.

Methods: A Web-based survey was disseminated to US medical students. Frequencies, proportions, and odds ratios were calculated to assess perceptions and self-described likelihood to respond to disaster and public health scenarios.

Results: Of the 523 medical students who completed the survey, 17.2% believed that they were receiving adequate education and training for natural disasters, 26.2% for pandemic influenza, and 13.4% for radiological events, respectively; 51.6% felt they were sufficiently skilled to respond to a natural disaster, 53.2% for pandemic influenza, and 30.8% for radiological events. Although 96.0% reported willingness to respond to a natural disaster, 93.7% for pandemic influenza, and 83.8% for a radiological event, the majority of respondents did not know to whom they would report in such an event.

Conclusions: Despite future physicians' willingness to respond, education and training in disaster medicine and public health preparedness offered in US medical schools is inadequate. Equipping medical students with knowledge, skills, direction, and linkages with volunteer organizations may help build a capable and sustainable auxiliary workforce. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:210–216)

Keywords

medical studentsmedical education and trainingdisaster preparednessworkforcewillingness to respond
Type
Original Research and Critical Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , December 2009 , pp. 210 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Institute of Medicine. Hospital-based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2007.Google Scholar
2.Alexander, GC, Wynia, MK. Ready and willing? Physicians' sense of preparedness for bioterrorism. Health Aff. 2003;22:189–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Balicer, RD, Omer, SB, Barnett, DJ, Everly, GS. Local public health workers' perceptions toward responding to an influenza pandemic. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:99–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Qureshi, K, Gershon, RR, Sherman, MF, et alHealth care workers' ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. J Urban Health. 2002;79:413–416.Google Scholar
5.Rothman, RE, Hsu, EB, Kahn, CA, Kelen, GD. Research priorities for surge capacity. Acad Emerg Med. 2006;13:1160–1168.Google Scholar
6.Nelson, C, Lurie, N, Wasserman, J, Zakowski, S. Conceptualizing and defining public health emergency preparedness. Am J Public Health. 2007;97 (Suppl 1):S9–S11.Google Scholar
7.Association of American Medical Colleges. Table 24: Total active enrollment by US medical school and sex, 2002-2007. http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2007/schoolenrll0207.htm. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
8.American Osteopathic Association. Fact Sheet 2006. http://www.osteopathic.org/pdf/ost_factsheet.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
9.Brown, RK. Disaster medicine? What is it? Can it be taught? JAMA. 1966;197:133–136.Google Scholar
10.Association of American Medical Colleges. Training Future Physicians about Weapons of Mass Destruction: Report of the Expert Panel on Bioterrorism Education for Medical Students. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges; 2003.Google Scholar
11.Association of American Medical Colleges. Number of US medical schools teaching selected topics 2004–2005. http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section2/04_05hottopics.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
12.American Medical Association. Guide to starting a chapter. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/366/chapter-guide.doc. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
13.Association of American Medical Colleges. About the OSR. http://www.aamc.org/members/osr/about/start.htm. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
14.American Osteopathic Association. Spotlight on: Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=sir_oms1106soma. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
15.Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps. Home. http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
16.Parker, CP, Barnett, DJ, Fews, AL, et alThe road map to preparedness: a competency based approach to all-hazards emergency readiness training for the public health workforce. Public Health Rep. 2005;120:504–514.Google Scholar
17.Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. Emergency events database/EM-DAT. http://www.emdat.be. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
18.Bartlett, JG, Borio, L. The current status of planning for pandemic influenza and implications for health care planning in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:919–925.Google Scholar
19.The White House. Homeland security presidential directive/HSPD-21. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071018-10.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar
20.3678–109th Congress. Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. 2006. http://www.govtrack.uc/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=s109-3678. Accessed July 24, 2008.Google Scholar