Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the Evacuation Support Decision Tool

This study examines the reliability and validity of the Evacuation Decision Support Tool (EDST). The EDST is designed to provide healthcare facilities, emergency managers, and other agencies with a systematic process with which to evaluate and guide “evacuation” versus “shelter in place” decision making for a variety of “all hazards” situations. The EDST is comprised of 7 items that assess “threat” and 9 items that measure “consequences” of a situation. The tool was designed to provide users with a decision on whether to remain, prepare, or evacuate from a healthcare facility. To date, there has not been a study that examined psychometric properties of any evacuation decision tool, including the EDST.