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Historically, medical response efforts to large-scale disaster events have highlighted significant variability in the capabilities of responding medical providers and emergency medical teams (EMTs). Analysis of the 2010 Haiti earthquake response found that a number of medical teams were poorly prepared, inexperienced, or lacked the competencies to provide the level of medical care required, highlighting the need for medical team standards.
The World Health Organization (WHO) EMT initiative that followed created minimum team standards for responding international EMTs to improve the quality and timeliness of medical services. At the present time however, there remains a lack of globally recognized minimum competency standards at the level of the individual disaster medical responder, allowing for continued variability in patient care.
Objectives:
This study examines existing competencies for physicians, nurses, and paramedics who are members of deployable disaster response teams.
Method/Description:
A scoping review of published English-language articles on existing competencies for physicians, nurses, and paramedics who are members of deployable disaster response teams was performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. A total of 3,474 articles will be reviewed.
Results/Outcomes:
Data to be analyzed by October 1, 2024.
Conclusion:
There is a need to develop minimum standards for healthcare providers on disaster response teams. Identification of key existing competencies for disaster responders will provide the foundation for the creation of globally recognized minimum competency standards for individuals seeking to join an EMT in the future and will guide training and curricula development.
Disasters pose significant challenges globally, affecting millions of people annually. In Saudi Arabia, floods constitute a prevalent natural disaster, underscoring the necessity for effective disaster preparedness among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers. Despite their critical role in disaster response, research on disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia is limited.
Study Objective/Methods:
The study aimed to explore the disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia. This study applied an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to explore disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the qualitative phase. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 EMS workers from National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities in Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. Thematic analysis was conducted following Braun and Clarke’s six-step process, ensuring data rigor through Schwandt, et al’s criteria for trustworthiness.
Findings:
The demographic characteristics of participants revealed a predominantly young, male workforce with varying levels of experience and educational backgrounds. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: (1) Newly/developed profession, highlighting the challenges faced by young EMS workers in acquiring disaster preparedness; (2) Access to opportunities and workplace resources (government versus military), indicating discrepancies in disaster preparedness support between government and military hospitals; and (3) Workplace policies and procedures, highlighting the need for clearer disaster policies, training opportunities, and role clarity among EMS workers.
Conclusion:
The study underscores the importance of addressing the unique challenges faced by EMS workers in Saudi Arabia to enhance disaster preparedness. Recommendations include targeted support for young EMS professionals, standardization of disaster training across health care facilities, and improved communication of disaster policies and procedures. These findings have implications for policy and practice in disaster management and EMS training in Saudi Arabia.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers are critical to effective disaster response. Therefore, it is important to understand their knowledge, skills, and preparedness for disasters. This study investigated factors influencing EMS workers’ disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness in the Saudi Arabian context. The study also sought to identify challenges to disaster preparedness among Saudi Arabian EMS workers.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional survey using The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool was distributed to EMS workers in military and government hospitals across 3 Saudi Arabian cities. Responses were recorded on a 6-point Likert scale where higher scores indicated higher knowledge, skills, or preparedness. The results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.
Results
272EMS workers participated in this study. EMS workers reported a moderate level of knowledge (3.56), skills (3.44), and preparedness (3.73) for disasters. Despite this, EMS workers reported a high level of involvement in regular disaster drills (M = 4.24, SD = 1.274) and a strong interest in further disaster education opportunities (M = 5.43, SD = 1.121). Participants also reported a high skill level with the triage principles used in their workplace during a disaster (M = 4.06, SD = 1.218). The study findings revealed a significant positive correlation between disaster preparedness levels and age, years of experience, education level, and the facility worked in.
Conclusions
EMS workers have moderate disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness levels. Knowledge, skill, and preparedness have a significant relationship on the EMS workers’ demographics. These findings demonstrate the need to invest in preparing Saudi Arabian EMS workers to effectively respond to bioterrorism disasters.
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers are critical to effective disaster response in Saudi Arabia. The World Health Organization requires countries and governments to have prepared emergency health workers and disaster action plans. Therefore, it is important to understand the disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness of Saudi Arabian EMS workers. This study investigated factors influencing EMS workers’ disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness in the Saudi Arabian context.
Method:
A descriptive cross-sectional survey using The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool was distributed to EMS workers in military and government hospitals across three Saudi Arabian cities. Responses were recorded on a 6-point Likert scale where higher scores indicated higher knowledge, skills, or preparedness. The results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.
Results:
272 EMS workers participated in this study. EMS workers reported a moderate level of knowledge (3.56), skills (3.44), and preparedness (3.73) for disasters. Despite the moderate level, EMS workers reported a high level of involvement in regular disaster drills (M=4.24, SD=1.274) and a strong interest in further disaster education opportunities (M=5.43, SD=1.121). Participants also reported a high skill level with the triage principles used in their workplace during a disaster (M=4.06, SD=1.218). The study findings revealed a significant positive correlation between disaster preparedness levels and age, years of experience, education level, and the facility worked in.
Conclusion:
EMS workers have moderate disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness levels. Knowledge, skill, and preparedness have a significant relationship with the EMS workers’ demographics. These findings demonstrate the need to invest in preparing Saudi Arabian EMS workers to effectively respond to bioterrorism disasters.
Uncomplicated acute alcohol intoxication (UAAI) requiring medical management is common at some mass gathering events. Most of the mass gathering literature reporting on medical management involving UAAI are single case studies. The common clinical practice for UAAI at mass gatherings reported in the literature involves intravenous fluids and antiemetics. However, emergency department evidence suggests that administration of intravenous fluids does not enhance patient outcomes, and in some cases extends emergency department length of stay and costs.
Method:
Using a retrospective cohort design of routinely collected data over a nine-year period (2010-2013 and 2016-2020), this study was set at an annual end-of-year ‘schoolies’ youth mass gathering event. The primary study aim was to determine the intravenous fluid management practices of UAAI at this event. Secondary study outcomes included patient demographic, clinical characteristics, and patient outcomes. Data were analyzed using time series and descriptive statistics. Ethical approval was obtained.
Results:
In total, 378 patients were identified with UAAI at the event over the nine-year period. The median patient age was 17 years (IQR: 17-18), with 47.2% (n=179) being male. Overall, the median length of stay was 74 minutes (IQR: 40 – 144). Only 7.9% (n=30) patients received intravenous cannulation and 6.3% (n=24) patients received intravenous fluids. Proportionately, the use of intravenous fluids for the management of UAAI decreased over the study years [2010, 28.6%; 2011, 32.1%; 2012, 15.6%; 2013, 6.3%; 2016, 2.6%; 2017, 0%; 2018, 1.8%; 2019, 0%; 2020, 0%].
Conclusion:
Some mass gathering events have a higher incidence of UAAI presentations. This is particularly true for those mass gathering events with young adults and at music festivals. Knowledge translation from the emergency department context regarding UAAI clinical management could be applied to the mass gathering event setting. This clinical management should include a conservative approach to the management of UAAI.
The critical role that nurses and midwives undertake during disasters has received significant attention in recent years. Nurses globally have faced multiple disasters, often occurring within months of each other and even overlapping. Within the past decade, on a global scale, nurses and midwives have experienced two Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) (SARS-CoV-2 and Monkeypox), the devastating and ongoing conflict in Ukraine and an unprecedented number of international natural hazards that have impacted them personally and professionally.
Method:
A discussion with frontline nurses and midwives provided insight into the challenges of delivering health care during disasters.
Results:
The results revealed that while there is some information available about disaster care and the role nurses play, there is minimal information about how nurses and midwives are personally affected by disasters impacting their own communities. Disaster nursing is a relatively new area of health care practice and is rarely taught at an undergraduate or workplace level.
Three opportunities for improving/acknowledging the critical role of nurses and midwives during disasters include:
1) Acknowledging that the involvement of nurses and midwives is critical to any disaster response
2) Promoting the importance of a nursing voice within the emergency management sector
3) Structural reforms be urgently adopted to address workforce sustainability including addressing gender inequality
4) These three approaches form only a part of the reform required to address the key roles that nurses and midwives perform during disasters.
Conclusion:
The ongoing pandemic has placed severe stress on an already overstretched nursing workforce, now is the right time to empower and support our nurses. In all aspects of emergency and disaster management nurses and midwives are at the frontline. Greater acknowledgement of the value nurses bring and the sacrifices they make in serving their communities will strengthen nurses’ commitment and resolve in tackling future crises.
As the largest body of health professionals, nurses are looked upon during a disaster for leadership, clinical assistance, and support during these events. Nurses are at the forefront of managing disasters in their communities, yet their complex role as advanced nurse practitioners, clinicians, managers, and leaders is not always fully understood and/or recognized. The aim of this paper is to explore the level of Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) in Australia that takes place in a disaster
Method:
This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. The review searched five relevant databases. A scoping review design was chosen as the authors expected that evidence in the field would be produced using a wide variety of methodologies.
Results:
Nurses work long hours during a disaster with hospitals and nurses becoming the center of events and the "go to" place during a disaster. During disasters nurses often have little sleep, have limited time to meet their individual/personal needs, and frequently put others needs before themselves. Nurses mentioned in these studies were reported to have worked while they were worried for themselves and their families. These nurses reported feeling capable and reported that all their experience and skills came to the fore during these challenging situations.
Conclusion:
During disasters, most nurses are found to be flexible and adaptable, with many taking on a variety of roles. Nurses are quick to find solutions with problem-solving keys and their ability to respond to disasters "just what you do." The nurses in these studies demonstrated fundamental expertise and had the agility to pivot when the occasion demanded. As a result of this study, it is evident, and not surprising, that these Australian nurses work beyond conventional limits during a disaster.
Around two billion people globally were affected by natural disasters between 2008 and 2018. Countries are required to effectively prepare their healthcare workers for disaster response. A greater level of preparedness is associated with a more effective response to disasters. The World Health Organization requires countries and governments to have disaster plans and emergency health workers ready and prepared at all times. This integrative review aims to understand emergency healthcare workers’ perceived preparedness for disaster management.
Method:
An integrative literature review using the PRISMA checklist guidelines was conducted to explore physicians, nurses, emergency medical services, and allied medical professionals’ preparedness for disasters. Literature was searched from 2005, published in the English language and from MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, EMBASE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, ProQuest and CINAHL databases. Reviews, case reports, clinical audits, editorials and short communications were excluded. Studies were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.
Results:
The initial search yielded 9,589 articles. Twenty-seven articles were included following the application of the eligibility criteria. Included studies were geographically diverse including North America, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. Most studies (n=24) assessed the knowledge of healthcare workers in general disasters. Studies using the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool reported moderate disaster preparedness and knowledge, while studies using other instruments largely reported inadequate disaster preparedness and knowledge. Regional variations were recorded, with high-income countries’ reporting a higher perceived preparedness for disasters than low-income countries.
Conclusion:
The majority of emergency healthcare workers appear to have inadequate disaster preparedness. Previous disaster experience and training improved disaster preparedness. Future research should focus on interventions to improve emergency healthcare workers' preparedness for disasters.
Women in coastal Bangladesh face greater challenges while staying at evacuation centers during cyclone emergencies. This study explores the lived experience of women and their well-being as evacuees.
Method:
The research undertook a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interviews of nineteen women from three extremely vulnerable districts of coastal Bangladesh.
Results:
The interviews revealed that women experienced obstacles to maintaining hygiene, using the toilets and accessing privacy, and suffered distress as pregnant women, lactating mothers, and through menstruation, which affected them physically and hampered their mental health. Coming from a male-dominated socio-cultural background, female evacuees unaccompanied by male guardians experienced fear and uncertainty. Some participants recollected facing social pressure and overwhelming emotions as carers of children and elderlies, whereas some reconciled traumatizing incidents such as witnessing death. Such experiences led to anxiety, stress, and depression with either temporary or permanent trauma. Participants frequently mentioned panic attacks and stress-related physical issues such as heart palpitations, dizziness and light-headedness. However, spiritual beliefs and social bonds within the community enabled peace and optimism among the women. Findings highlight that certain factors determined women evacuees' experience of wellbeing. Social context of the women imposed burdens of responsibility and caused inaccessibility of resources to restore physical-mental wellbeing. The settings, infrastructures and environment of the evacuation centers were not women-friendly, which resulted in many negative experiences among the evacuees, greatly affecting their sense of wellness. However, participants could channel positive mindsets through prayers and spiritual faith. Women were able to access some resources and use these for their well-being through social bonding and connecting with the women within the shelters.
Conclusion:
Unconditional trust in a deity and sisterhood within communities have been two quintessential features of women, which played major roles in women’s experiences and molded their understandings of well-being in the cyclone shelters.
Mass-gathering events (MGEs) occur regularly throughout the world. As people congregate at MGEs, there is an increased risk of transmission of communicable diseases. Novel respiratory viruses, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1), Influenza A Virus Subtype H1N1 Strain 2009 (H1N1pdm09), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), or Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), may require specific infection prevention and control strategies to minimize the risk of transmission when planning MGEs. This literature review aimed to identify and analyze papers relating to novel respiratory viruses with pandemic potential and to inform MGE planning.
Method:
This paper used a systematic literature review method. Various health care databases were searched using keywords relating to MGEs and novel respiratory viruses. Information was extracted from identified papers into various tables for analysis. The analysis identified infection prevention and control strategies used at MGEs to inform planning before, during, and following events.
Results:
In total, 27 papers met the criteria for inclusion. No papers were identified regarding SARS-CoV-1, while the remainder reported on H1N1pdm09 (n = 9), MERS-CoV (n = 15), and SARS-CoV-2 (n = 3). Various before, during, and after event mitigation strategies were identified that can be implemented for future events.
Conclusions:
This literature review provided an overview of the novel respiratory virus epidemiology at MGEs alongside related public health mitigation strategies that have been implemented at these events. This paper also discusses the health security of event participants and host communities in the context of cancelling, postponing, and modifying events due to a novel respiratory virus. In particular, ways to recommence events incorporating various mitigation strategies are outlined.
Dedicated on-site medical services have long been recommended to improve health outcomes at mass-gathering events (MGEs). In many countries, they are being reviewed as a mandatory requirement. While it is known that perceptions of risk shape substance use plans amongst outdoor music festival (OMF) attendees, it is unclear if attendees perceive the presence of on-site medical services as a part of the safety net. The aim of this paper is to better understand whether attendees’ perceptions of on-site medical services influence high-risk behaviors like alcohol and recreational drug use at OMFs.
Method:
A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of attendees entering and attending two separate 20,000-person OMFs; one in Canada (Festival A) and one in New Zealand (Festival B). Responses focused on demographics, planned alcohol and recreational drug use, perceptions of medical services, and whether the absence of medical services would impact attendees’ planned substance use.
Results:
A total of 851 (587 and 264 attendees for Festival A and Festival B, respectively) attendees consented and participated. Gender distribution was equal and average ages were 23 to 25. At Festival A, 48% and 89% planned to use alcohol and recreational drugs, respectively, whereas at Festival B, it was 92% and 44%. A great majority were aware and supportive of the presence of medical services at both festivals, and a moderate number considered them a factor in attendance and something they would not attend without. There was significant (>10%) agreement (range 11%-46%; or 2,200-9,200 attendees for a 20,000-person festival) at both festivals that the absence of medical services would affect attendees’ planned use of alcohol and recreational drugs.
Conclusions:
This study found that attendees surveyed at two geographically and musically distinct OMFs had high but differing rates of planned alcohol and recreational drug use, and that the presence of on-site medical services may impact attendees’ perceptions of substance use risk. Future research will aim to address the limitations of this study to clarify these findings and their implications.
Without a robust evidence base to support recommendations for medical services at mass gatherings (MGs), levels of care will continue to vary and preventable morbidity and mortality will exist. Accordingly, researchers and clinicians publish case reports and case series to capture and explain some of the health interventions, health outcomes, and host community impacts of MGs. Streamlining and standardizing post-event reporting for MG medical services and associated health outcomes could improve inter-event comparability, thereby supporting and promoting growth of the evidence base for this discipline. The present paper is focused on theory building, proposing a set of domains for data that may support increasingly comprehensive, yet lean, reporting on the health outcomes of MGs. This paper is paired with another presenting a proposal for a post-event reporting template.
Methods:
The conceptual categories of data presented are based on a textual analysis of 54 published post-event medical case reports and a comparison of the features of published data models for MG health outcomes.
Findings:
A comparison of existing data models illustrates that none of the models are explicitly informed by a conceptual lens. Based on an analysis of the literature reviewed, four data domains emerged. These included: (i) the Event Domain, (ii) the Hazard and Risk Domain, (iii) the Capacity Domain, and (iv) the Clinical Domain. These domains mapped to 16 sub-domains.
Discussion:
Data modelling for the health outcomes related to MGs is currently in its infancy. The proposed illustration is a set of operationally relevant data domains that apply equally to small, medium, and large-sized events. Further development of these domains could move the MG community forward and shift post-event health outcomes reporting in the direction of increasing consistency and comprehensiveness.
Conclusion:
Currently, data collection and analysis related to understanding health outcomes arising from MGs is not informed by robust conceptual models. This paper is part of a series of nested papers focused on the future state of post-event medical reporting.
Without a robust evidence base to support recommendations for first aid, health, and medical services at mass gatherings (MGs), levels of care will continue to vary. Streamlining and standardizing post-event reporting for MG medical services could improve inter-event comparability, and prospectively influence event safety and planning through the application of a research template, thereby supporting and promoting growth of the evidence base and the operational safety of this discipline. Understanding the relationships between categories of variables is key. The present paper is focused on theory building, providing an evolving conceptual model, laying the groundwork for exploring the relationships between categories of variables pertaining the health outcomes of MGs.
Methods:
A content analysis of 54 published post-event medical case reports, including a comparison of the features of published data models for MG health outcomes.
Findings:
A layered model of essential conceptual components for post-event medical reporting is presented as the Data Reporting, Evaluation, & Analysis for Mass-Gathering Medicine (DREAM) model. This model is relational and embeds data domains, organized operationally, into “inputs,” “modifiers,” “actuals,” and “outputs” and organized temporally into pre-, during, post-event, and reporting phases.
Discussion:
Situating the DREAM model in relation to existing models for data collection vis a vis health outcomes, the authors provide a detailed discussion on similarities and points of difference.
Conclusion:
Currently, data collection and analysis related to understanding health outcomes arising from MGs is not informed by robust conceptual models. This paper is part of a series of nested papers focused on the future state of post-event medical reporting.
Standardizing and systematizing the reporting of health outcomes from mass gatherings (MGs) will improve the quality of data being reported. Setting minimum standards for case reporting is an important strategy for improving data quality. This paper is one of a series of papers focused on understanding the current state, and shaping the future state, of post-event case reporting.
Methods:
Multiple data sources were used in creating a lean, yet comprehensive list of essential reporting fields, including a: (1) literature synthesis drawn from analysis of 54 post-event case reports; (2) comparison of existing data models for MGs; (3) qualitative analysis of gaps in current case reports; and (4) set of data domains developed based on the preceding sources.
Findings:
Existing literature fails to consistently report variables that may be essential for not only describing the health outcomes of a given event, but also for explaining those outcomes. In the context of current and future state reporting, 25 essential variables were identified. The essential variables were organized according to four domains, including: (i) Event Domain; (ii) Hazard and Risk Domain; (iii) Capacity Domain; and (iv) Clinical Domain.
Discussion:
The authors propose a first-generation template for post-event medical reporting. This template standardizes the reporting of 25 essential variables. An accompanying data dictionary provides background and standardization for each of the essential variables. Of note, this template is lean and will develop over time, with input from the international MG community. In the future, additional groups of variables may be helpful as “overlays,” depending on the event category and type.
Conclusions:
This paper presents a template for post-event medical reporting. It is hoped that consistent reporting of essential variables will improve both data collection and the ability to make comparisons between events so that the science underpinning MG health can continue to advance.
The aim of this paper is to further develop an existing data model for mass-gathering health outcomes.
Background:
Mass-gathering events (MGEs) occur frequently throughout the world. Having an understanding of the complexities of MGEs is important to determine required health resources. Environmental, psychosocial, and biomedical domains may be a logical starting point to determine how data are being collected and reported in the literature; however, it may be that other factors influencing health resources are not identified within these domains.
Method:
Based on an exhaustive literature synthesis, this paper is the final paper in a series that explores the collection of variables that impact biomedical presentations associated with attendance/participation in MGEs.
Findings:
The authors propose further evolution of the Arbon model to include the addition of several domains, including: event environment; command, control, and communication (C3); public health; health promotion; and legacy when reporting the health outcomes of an event.
Conclusions:
Including a variety of domains that contribute to an MGE allows for formal evaluation of the event, which in turn informs future knowledge and skill development for both the event management group and the wider community.
This review discusses the need for consistency in mass-gathering research and evaluation from a psychosocial perspective.
Background:
Mass gatherings occur frequently throughout the world. Having an understanding of the complexities of mass gatherings is important to determine required health resources. Factors within the environmental, psychosocial, and biomedical domains influence the usage of health services at mass gatherings. A standardized approach to data collection is important to identify a consistent reporting standard for the psychosocial domain.
Method:
This research used an integrative literature review design. Manuscripts were collected using keyword searches from databases and journal content pages from 2003 through 2018. Data were analyzed and categorized using the existing minimum data set as a framework.
Results:
In total, 31 manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. The main variables identified were use of alcohol or drugs, crowd behavior, crowd mood, rationale, and length of stay.
Conclusion:
Upon interrogating the literature, the authors have determined that the variables fall under the categories of alcohol or drugs; maladaptive and adaptive behaviors; crowd behavior, crowd culture, and crowd mood; reason for attending event (motivation); duration; and crowd demographics. In collecting psychosocial data from mass gatherings, an agreed-upon set of variables that can be used to collect de-identified psychosocial variables for the purpose of making comparisons across societies for mass-gathering events (MGEs) would be invaluable to researchers and event clinicians.
This paper discusses the need for consistency in mass-gathering research and evaluation from an environmental reporting perspective.
Background:
Mass gatherings occur frequently throughout the world. Having an understanding of the complexities of mass gatherings is important to inform health services about the possible required health resources. Factors within the environmental, psychosocial, and biomedical domains influence the usage of health services at mass gatherings. A minimum data set (MDS) has been proposed to standardize collection of biomedical data across various mass gatherings, and there is a need for an environmental component. The environmental domain includes factors such as the nature of the event, availability of drugs or alcohol, venue characteristics, and meteorological factors.
Method:
This research used an integrative literature review design. Manuscripts were collected using keyword searches from databases and journal content pages from 2003 through 2018. Data were analyzed and categorized using the existing MDS as a framework.
Results:
In total, 39 manuscripts were identified that met the inclusion criteria.
Conclusion:
In collecting environmental data from mass gatherings, there must be an agreed-upon MDS. A set of variables can be used to collect de-identified environmental variables for the purpose of making comparisons across societies for mass-gathering events (MGEs).
During mass gatherings, such as marathons, the provision of timely access to health care services is required for the mass gathering population as well as the local community. However, effective provision of health care during sporting mass gatherings is not well understood.
Aim:
To describe the structures and processes developed for an emergency team to operate an in-event acute health care facility during one of the largest mass sporting participation events in the southern hemisphere, the Gold Coast marathon.
Methods:
A pragmatic qualitative methodology was used to describe the structures and processes required to operate an in-event acute health care facility providing services for marathon runners and spectators. Content analysis from 12 semi-structured interviews with Emergency Department (ED) clinical staff working during the two-day event was undertaken in 2016.
Results:
Structural elements that underpinned the in-event health care facility included: physical spaces such as the clinical zones in the marathon health tent, tent access, and egress points; and resources such as bilingual staff, senior medical staff, and equipment such as electrocardiograms. Critical processes included: clear communication pathways, interprofessional care coordination, and engagement involving shared knowledge of and access to resources. Distinct but overlapping clinical scope between nurses and doctors was also noted as important for timely care provision and appropriate case management. Staff outlined many perceived benefits and opportunities of in-event health care delivery including ED avoidance and disaster training.
Discussion:
This in-event model of emergency care delivery enabled acute out-of-hospital health care to be delivered in a portable and transportable facility. Clinical staff reported satisfaction with their ability to provide a meaningful contribution to hospital avoidance and to the local community. With the number of sporting mass gatherings increasing, this temporary, in-event model of health care provision is one option for event and health care planners to consider.