Citation

Manley WG, Furbee PM, Coben JH, Smyth SK, Summers DE, Althouse RC, Kimble RL, Kocsis AT, Helmkamp JC. Disaster Manage. Response 2006; 4(3): 80-87.

Affiliation

Virginia University, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Injury Control Research Center, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Emergency Nurses Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.dmr.2006.05.001

PMID

16904618

Abstract

Disaster preparedness has always been an area of major concern for the medical community, but recent world events have prompted an increased interest. The health care system must respond to disasters of all types, whether the incidents occur in urban or rural settings. Although the barriers and challenges are different in the rural setting, common areas of preparedness must be explored. This study examines the experiences of rural hospital emergency departments with threat preparedness. Data were gathered through a nationwide survey to describe emergency department experience with specific incidents, as well as the frequency of occurrence of these events. Expanding surge capacity of hospitals and developing a community-wide response to natural or human-made incidents is crucial in mitigating long-term effects on the health care system. Analysis of preparedness activities will help identify common themes to better prioritize preparedness activities and maximize a hospital's response capabilities.

Language: en