Analyzing Postdisaster Surveillance Data: The Effect of the Statistical Method Data from existing administrative databases and ongoing surveys or surveillance methods may prove indispensable after mass traumas as a way of providing information that may be useful to emergency planners and practitioners. The analytic approach, however, may affect exposure prevalence estimates and measures of association. We compare Bayesian hierarchical modeling methods to standard survey analytic … Continue reading “Analyzing Postdisaster Surveillance Data: The Effect of the Statistical Method” Learn More
Comfort level of emergency medical service providers in responding to weapons of mass destruction events: impact of training and equipment Background: Numerous studies have suggested that emergency medical services (EMS) providers are ill-prepared in the areas of training and equipment for response to events due to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and other public health emergencies (epidemics, etc.). Methods: A nationally representative sample of basic and paramedic EMS providers in the United States was surveyed … Continue reading “Comfort level of emergency medical service providers in responding to weapons of mass destruction events: impact of training and equipment” Learn More
Preparing Health Professions Students for Terrorism, Disaster, and Public Health Emergencies: Core Competencies The recent increased threat of terrorism, coupled with the ever-present dangers posed by natural disasters and public health emergencies, clearly support the need to incorporate bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response material into the curricula of every health professions school in the nation. A main barrier to health care preparedness in this country is a lack … Continue reading “Preparing Health Professions Students for Terrorism, Disaster, and Public Health Emergencies: Core Competencies” Learn More
Public Health Department Training of Emergency Medical Technicians for Bioterrorism and Public Health Emergencies: Results of a National Assessment Hypothesis: The public health system has a specialized body of knowledge and expertise in bioterrorism and public health emergency management that can assist in the development and delivery of continuing medical education programs to meet the needs of emergency medical service providers. Methods: A nationally representative sample of the basic and paramedic emergency medical service … Continue reading “Public Health Department Training of Emergency Medical Technicians for Bioterrorism and Public Health Emergencies: Results of a National Assessment” Learn More
The Willingness of U.S. Emergency Medical Technicians to Respond to Terrorist Incidents A nationally representative sample of basic and paramedic emergency medical service providers in the United States was surveyed to assess their willingness to respond to terrorist incidents. EMTs were appreciably (9-13%) less willing than able to respond to such potential terrorist-related incidents as smallpox outbreaks, chemical attacks, or radioactive dirty bombs (p < 0.0001). EMTs … Continue reading “The Willingness of U.S. Emergency Medical Technicians to Respond to Terrorist Incidents” Learn More
Preparing for disasters: What should you know, and when should you know it? Three waves of terrorism have ushered in a new era in public health, safety, and health care in the United States: The February 26, 1993 explosions at New York’s World Trade Center, the April 19, 1995 bombing at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the September 11, 2001 attacks, along with the anthrax … Continue reading “Preparing for disasters: What should you know, and when should you know it?” Learn More
