Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T18:51:05.769Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Course on Terror Medicine: Content and Evaluations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2016

Leonard A. Cole ,
Brenda Natal ,
Adam Fox ,
Arthur Cooper ,
Cheryl A. Kennedy ,
Nancy D. Connell ,
Gregory Sugalski ,
Miriam Kulkarni ,
Michael Feravolo  and
Sangeeta Lamba
Leonard A. Cole*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Brenda Natal
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Adam Fox
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Arthur Cooper
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center at Harlem Hospital, New York, New YorkUSA
Cheryl A. Kennedy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Nancy D. Connell
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Gregory Sugalski
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Miriam Kulkarni
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Michael Feravolo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Management, University Hospital, Newark, New JerseyUSA
Sangeeta Lamba
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New JerseyUSA
*
Correspondence: Leonard A. Cole, PhD, DDS Department of Emergency Medicine, M219 Rutgers NJ Medical School 150 Bergen St. Newark, New Jersey 07103 USA E-mail: lcole2@verizon.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

The development of medical school courses on medical responses for disaster victims has been deemed largely inadequate. To address this gap, a 2-week elective course on Terror Medicine (a field related to Disaster and Emergency Medicine) has been designed for fourth year students at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey (USA). This elective is part of an overall curricular plan to broaden exposure to topics related to Terror Medicine throughout the undergraduate medical education.

Rationale

A course on Terror Medicine necessarily includes key aspects of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, though the converse is not the case. Courses on Disaster Medicine may not address features distinctively associated with a terror attack. Thus, a terror-related focus not only assures attention to this important subject but to accidental or naturally occurring incidents as well.

Methods

The course, implemented in 2014, uses a variety of teaching modalities including lectures, videos, and tabletop and hands-on simulation exercises. The subject matter includes biological and chemical terrorism, disaster management, mechanisms of injury, and psychiatry. This report outlines the elective’s goals and objectives, describes the course syllabus, and presents outcomes based on student evaluations of the initial iterations of the elective offering.

Results

All students rated the course as “excellent” or “very good.” Evaluations included enthusiastic comments about the content, methods of instruction, and especially the value of the simulation exercises. Students also reported finding the course novel and engaging.

Conclusion

An elective course on Terror Medicine, as described, is shown to be feasible and successful. The student participants found the content relevant to their education and the manner of instruction effective. This course may serve as a model for other medical schools contemplating the expansion or inclusion of Terror Medicine-related topics in their curriculum.

ColeLA, NatalB, FoxA, CooperA, KennedyCA, ConnellND, SugalskiG, KulkarniM, FeravoloM, LambaS. A Course on Terror Medicine: Content and Evaluations. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(1):98–101.

Keywords

disaster medicineemergency medicinemedical educationmedical responseterror medicine
Type
Special Reports
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 31 , Supplement 1 , February 2016 , pp. 98 - 101
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2016 

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

1. Ablon, L, Ali, F, Bahney, B, et al. Terrorism threat assessment. Rand Corporation Web site. http://www.rand.org/topics/terrorism-threat-assessment.html. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
2. Schultz, CH, Koenig, KL, Whiteside, M, Murray, R. Development of national standardized all-hazard disaster core competencies for acute care physicians, nurses, and EMS professionals. Ann Emerg Med. 2012;59(3):196-208.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Cole, LA, Wagner, K, Scott, S, et al. Terror medicine as part of the medical school curriculum. Front Pub Health. 2014;2:138.Google Scholar
4. Shapira, SC, Hammond, JS, Cole, LA. (eds). Essentials of Terror Medicine. New York, USA: Springer Publishing Co.; 2009.Google Scholar
5. Shapira, SC, Cole, LA. Terror medicine: birth of a discipline. J Homeland Security and Emerg Management. 2006;3(2). :http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jhsem.2006.3.2/jhsem.2006.3.2.1247/jhsem.2006.3.2.1247.xml. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
6. Cannon, E. Combating terrorism through terror medicine. Examiner.com Web site. http://www.examiner.com/article/combating-terrorism-through-terror-medicine. Published February 2, 2011. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
7. CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter. Terror Medicine. http://www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com/terror-medicine.php. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
8. 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 USA https://members.aamc.org/eweb/upload/Training%20Future%20Physicians%20About%20Weapons.pdf. Published 2003. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
9. Cole, LA, Connell, ND. (eds) Local Planning for Terror and Disaster: From Bioterrorism to Earthquakes. Hoboken, New Jersey USA: (Wiley-Blackwell) John Wiley and Sons Publishers; 2012.Google Scholar
10. CDC. Emergency Preparedness and Response (Bioterrorism). CDC Web site. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
11. US National Library of Medicine. Biodefense and Bioterrorism. MedlinePlus Web site. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/biodefenseandbioterrorism.html. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
12. Maron, DF. Weaponized Ebola: is it really a threat? Scientific American Web site. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weaponized-ebola-is-it-really-a-bioterror-threat/. Published September 25, 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
13. Cole, LA. The Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC USA: National Academies Press; 2003; revised and expanded. New York USA: Skyhorse Publishing Co.; 2009.Google Scholar
14. Loh, Y, Swanberg, MM, Ingram, MV, Newmark, J. Case report: long-term cognitive sequelae of sarin exposure. Neurotoxicology. 2010;31(2):244-246.Google Scholar
15. Hick, JL, Weinstock, DM, Coleman, CN, et al. Health care system planning for and response to a nuclear detonation. Disaster Med Pub Health Prep. 2011;5(Suppl 1):S73-S88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Choe, I. The debate over psychological debriefing for PTSD. The New School Psychology Bulletin. 2005;3(2):71-82.Google Scholar
17. Pfefferbaum, B, Newman, E, Nelson, S. Mental health interventions for children exposed to disasters and terrorism. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2014;24(1):24-31.Google Scholar
18. McNally, RJ, Bryant, RA, Ehlers, A. Does early psychological intervention promote recovery from post-traumatic stress? Psychological Sciences in the Public Interest. 2003;4(2):45-79.Google Scholar
19. Silver, RC, Holman, EA, McIntosh, DN, Poulin, M, Gil-Rivas, V. Nationwide longitudinal study of psychological responses to September 11. JAMA. 2002;288(10):1235-1244.Google Scholar
20. Heldenberg, E, Givon, A, Simon, D, et al. Terror attacks increase the risk of vascular injuries. Front Pub Health. 2014;2:47.Google Scholar
21. Peleg, K, Aharonson-Daniel, L, Stein, M, et al. Gunshot and explosion injuries: characteristics, outcomes, and implications for care of terror-related injuries in Israel. Ann Surg. 2004;239(3):311-318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Swan, KG, Reiner, DS, Blackwood, JM. Missile injuries: wound ballistics and principles of management. Mil Med. 1987;152(1):29-34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS 100) for Healthcare/Hospitals. FEMA Web site. http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-100.HCb. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
24. Busch, J. A supersized storm. EMS World Web site. http://www.emsworld.com/article/10875975/ems-response-to-hurricane-sandy. Published March 1, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
25. Cortacans, H, Clancy, T. New Jersey EMS task force response to Superstorm Sandy. JEMS Web site. http://www.jems.com/article/major-incidents/new-jersey-ems-task-force-response-super. Published March 26, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015.Google Scholar
26. Dausey, DJ, Buehler, JW, Lurie, N. Designing and conducting tabletop exercises to assess public health preparedness for manmade and naturally occurring biological threats. BMC Public Health. 2007;7:92.Google Scholar
27. Vardi, A, Levin, I, Birkenstadt, H, et al. Simulation-based training of medical teams to manage chemical warfare casualties. Israel Medical Assn J. 2002;4:540-544.Google Scholar
28. Olsen, ME. Use of medical simulation to teach bioterrorism preparedness: the anthrax example. South Med J. 2013;106(1):49-64.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Cole supplementary material

Appendix 1

Download Cole supplementary material(File)
File 18.5 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cole supplementary material

Appendix 2

Download Cole supplementary material(File)
File 14.6 KB