Citation

Hall TN, McDonald A, Peleg K. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2018; 12(1): 101-108.

Affiliation

3The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research,National Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research,Tel-Hashomer,Israel,and The Disaster Medicine Department & The Executive Master Programs for Emergency and Disaster Management, Faculty of Medicine,School of Public Health,Tel-Aviv University,Tel-Aviv,Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2017.43

PMID

28918763

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify and seek agreement on factors that may influence decision-making related to the distribution of patients during a mass casualty incident.

METHODS: A qualitative thematic analysis of a literature review identified 56 unique factors related to the distribution of patients in a mass casualty incident. A modified Delphi study was conducted and used purposive sampling to identify peer reviewers that had either (1) a peer-reviewed publication within the area of disaster management or (2) disaster management experience. In round one, peer reviewers ranked the 56 factors and identified an additional 8 factors that resulted in 64 factors being ranked during the two-round Delphi study. The criteria for agreement were defined as a median score greater than or equal to 7 (on a 9-point Likert scale) and a percentage distribution of 75% or greater of ratings being in the highest tertile.

RESULTS: Fifty-four disaster management peer reviewers, with hospital and prehospital practice settings most represented, assessed a total of 64 factors, of which 29 factors (45%) met the criteria for agreement.

CONCLUSIONS: Agreement from this formative study suggests that certain factors are influential to decision-making related to the distribution of patients during a mass casualty incident. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017; page 1 of 8).

Language: en

Keywords

decision-support techniques; emergency preparedness; mass casualty incidents