Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:50:38.988Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Building Health Care System Capacity: Training Health Care Professionals in Disaster Preparedness Health Care Coalitions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2015

Lauren Walsh Open the ORCID record for Lauren Walsh [Opens in a new window] ,
Hillary Craddock ,
Kelly Gulley ,
Kandra Strauss-Riggs  and
Kenneth W. Schor
Lauren Walsh*
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland USA
Hillary Craddock
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland USA
Kelly Gulley
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland USA
Kandra Strauss-Riggs
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland USA
Kenneth W. Schor
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland USA
*
Correspondence: Lauren Walsh, MPH National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health 11300 Rockville Pike Suite 1000 Rockville, Maryland 20910 USA E-mail [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

This study aimed to learn from the experiences of well-established, disaster preparedness-focused health care coalition (HCC) leaders for the purpose of identifying opportunities for improved delivery of disaster-health principles to health professionals involved in HCCs. This report describes current HCC education and training needs, challenges, and promising practices.

Methods

A semi-structured interview was conducted with a sample of leaders of nine preparedness-focused HCCs identified through a 3-stage purposive strategy. Transcripts were analyzed qualitatively.

Results

Training needs included: stakeholder engagement; economic sustainability; communication; coroner and mortuary services; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE); mass-casualty incidents; and exercise design. Of these identified training needs, stakeholder engagement, economic sustainability, and exercise design were relevant to leaders within HCCs, as opposed to general HCC membership. Challenges to education and training included a lack of time, little-to-no staff devoted to training, and difficulty getting coalition members to prioritize training. Promising practices to these challenges are also presented.

Conclusions

The success of mature coalitions in improving situational awareness, promoting planning, and enabling staff- and resource-sharing suggest the strengths and opportunities that are inherent within these organizations. However, offering effective education and training opportunities is a challenge in the absence of ubiquitous support, incentives, or requirements among health care professions. Notably, an online resource repository would help reduce the burden on individual coalitions by eliminating the need to continually develop learning opportunities.

WalshL , CraddockH , GulleyK , Strauss-RiggsK , SchorKW . Building Health Care System Capacity: Training Health Care Professionals in Disaster Preparedness Health Care Coalitions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(2):1-8.

Keywords

community resilienceemergency planning/managementhealth care coalitionshealth systemstraining
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 123 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Courtney, B, Toner, E, Waldhorn, R, et al. Health care coalitions: the new foundation for national health care preparedness and response for catastrophic health emergencies. Biosecur Bioterror. 2009;7(2):153-163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Carrier, E, Yee, T, Cross, D, Samuel, D. Emergency preparedness and community coalitions: opportunities and challenges. Res Brief. 2012;(24):1-9.Google ScholarPubMed
3. Hanfling, D. Role of regional health care coalitions in managing and coordinating disaster response. White paper for the workshop on National Response to an Improvised Nuclear Attack. National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine. Washington DC, USA. January. 2013.Google Scholar
4. Toner, E, Waldhorn, R, Franco, C, et al. Hospitals rising to the challenge: the first five years of the US Hospital Preparedness Program and priorities going forward. Prepared by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC for the US Department of Health and Human Services under Contract No. HHSO100200700038C. Washington DC, USA. 2009.Google Scholar
5. Frahm, KA, Gardner, PJ, Brown, LM, Rogoff, DP, Troutman, A. Community-based disaster coalition training. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2014;20(5):S111-S117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Pines, JM, Pilkington, WF, Seabury, S. Improving emergency preparedness financing by building on health systems capacity and sustainable alternative methods. White paper for the forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events. National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine. Washington DC, USA. October 2013.Google Scholar
7. Hick, JL, Hanfling, D, Burstein, JL, et al. Health care facility and community strategies for patient care surge capacity. Ann Emerg Med. 2004;44(3):253-261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Burkle, FM, Williams, A, Kissoon, N. Pediatric emergency mass critical care: the role of community preparedness in conserving critical care resources. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2011;12(6 suppl):S141-S151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Toner, E, Adalja, AA. “Preparing hospitals for large-scale infectious disease emergencies.” In: Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. A Crossroads to Biosecurity: Steps to Strengthen US Preparedness. Baltimore, Maryland USA. 2011; 29-31.Google Scholar
10. Stoto, MA, Cox, H, Higdon, M, Dunnell, K, Goldman, D. Using learning collaboratives to improve public health emergency preparedness systems. Front Public Health Serv Syst Res. 2013;2(2):Article 3.Google Scholar
11. US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. National Health Security Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC, USA. December 2009.Google Scholar
12. The White House. Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-21. Washington DC, USA. October 17, 2007.Google Scholar
13. 109th United States Congress. Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. Washington DC, USA. December 2006.Google Scholar
14. US Department of Homeland Security. National Response Framework. Washington DC, USA. May 2013.Google Scholar
15. Walsh, LE, Altman, BA, King, RV, Straus-Riggs, K. Enhancing the translation of disaster health competencies into practice. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(1):70-78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Walsh, L, Craddock, H, Strauss-Riggs, K, Schor, KW, Gulley, K. Building health care system capacity to respond to disasters: successes and challenges of disaster-preparedness health care coalitions. Prehosp Disaster Med. In press.Google Scholar
17. “Paperwork Reduction Act.” US Code 1980 Ed. Title 44, Sec. 35, 3501-3521.Google Scholar
18. Rambhia, KJ, Waldhorn, RE, Selck, F, Mehta, AK, Franco, C, Toner, ES. A survey of hospitals to determine the prevalence and characteristics of health care coalitions for emergency preparedness and response. Biosecur Bioterror. 2012;10(3):1-10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. Walsh, L, Subbarao, I, Gebbie, K, et al. Core competencies for disaster medicine and public health. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2012;6(1):44-52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Schor, KW, Altman, BA. Proposals for aligning disaster health competency models. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2013;7(1):8-12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Miles, MB, Huberman, AM. Qualitative Data Analysis. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, California USA: Sage Publications; 1994.Google Scholar
22. Phillips, BD. Qualitative Disaster Research: Understanding Qualitative Research. New York, New York USA: Oxford University Press; 2013.Google Scholar
23. Knafl, KA, Howard, MJ. Interpreting and reporting qualitative research. Res Nurs Health. 1984;7(1):17-24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Barbera, JA, Yeatts, DJ, Macintyre, AG. Challenge of hospital emergency preparedness: analysis and recommendations. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(suppl 1):S74-S82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Barebera, JA, Macintyre, AG. Medical surge capacity and capability: the health care coalition in emergency response and recovery. May 2009. http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/mscc/Documents/mscctier2jan2010.pdf. Accessed May 15, 2014.Google Scholar
26. Reilly, M, Markenson, DS. Education and training of hospital workers: who are essential personnel during a disaster? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24(3):239-245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27. Ginter, PM, Rucks, AC, Duncan, WJ, et al. Southeastern regional pediatric disaster surge network: a public health partnership. Public Health Rep. 2010;125(suppl 5):117-126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28. Scott, LA, Crumpler, J, Tolley, J, Jones, EM, Wahlquist, AE. Disaster care provider workforce assessment. JSC Med Assoc. 2012;108(3):80-83.Google ScholarPubMed
29. Rose, MA, Larrimore, KL. Knowledge and awareness concerning chemical and biological terrorism: continuing education implications. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2002;33(6):253-258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30. Maddox, PJ. Integrating emergency preparedness in the nursing curriculum. Presented at the 115th meeting of the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. Washington DC, USA. December 2006.Google Scholar
31. Peleg, K, Kellermann, AL. Enhancing hospital surge capacity for mass casualty events. JAMA. 2009;302(5):565-567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32. Department of Health and Human Services. National Health Security Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC, USA. December 2009.Google Scholar
33. Markenson, D, DiMaggio, C, Redlener, I. Preparing health professions students for terrorism, disaster, and public health emergencies: core competencies. Acad Med. 2005;80(6):517-526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34. Garrett, AL, Park, YS, Redlener, I. Mitigating absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(S2):S141-S147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35. Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. Health Care Facilities Partnership Program and Emergency Care Partnership Program Evaluation Report. January 2010. http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/the-healthcare-facilities-partnership-program-and-emergency-care-partnership-program-evaluation-report. Accessed May 15, 2014.Google Scholar
36. Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers. Proposed Rule. Washington DC, USA. December 27, 2013.Google Scholar