Catastrophic Events Versus Infectious Disease Outbreak: Distinct Challenges for Emergency Planning Reason Papers 2015;37:54-64
Date
07/22/2015Abstract
Emergency response planning is a contextual project that must account for divergent circumstances and challenges resulting from different types of emergency events. Catastrophic events such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or terrorist bombs will present those healthcare facilities located nearest to the event with an immediate surge in patients, while having limited impact beyond the region directly affected. In contrast, infectious disease outbreaks will present a slower surge in patients, but will require a more sustained response effort—an effort whose effectiveness will depend on deliberate, methodical attention to detail (in the form of adherence to infection control procedures) rather than the emphasis on speed and movement of resources that characterizes effective response to catastrophic events. Equally important, strains on the healthcare delivery system resulting from the sustained, deliberate approaches required during outbreak response, combined with the difficulties inherent in distinguishing mundane causes of symptoms from more serious etiology of these symptom manifestations, will require special emphasis on public communication in order to avoid unnecessary demands on the healthcare system.
Author List
May T, MCCAULEY MP, Strong KA, Jeruzal JView Online