Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T22:47:11.145Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Minimum Data Set for Mass-Gathering Health Research and Evaluation: A Discussion Paper

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2012

Jamie Ranse*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Alison Hutton
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
*
Correspondence: Jamie Ranse, RN, BN, MCritCarNurs Faculty of Health University of Canberra Canberra, Australia, ACT, 2601 E-mail [email protected]

Abstract

This paper discusses the need for consistency in mass-gathering data collection and biomedical reporting. Mass gatherings occur frequently throughout the world, and having an understanding of the complexities of mass gatherings is important to inform health services about the possible required health resources. Factors within the environmental, psychosocial and biomedical domains influence the usage of health services at mass gatherings. The biomedical domain includes the categorization of presenting injury or illness, and rates such as patient presentation rate, transferred to hospital rate and referred to hospital rate. These rates provide insight into the usage of onsite health services, prehospital ambulance services. and hospital emergency department services.

Within the literature, these rates are reported in a manner that is varied, haphazard and author dependent. This paper proposes moving away from an author-dependent practice of collection and reporting of data. An expert consensus approach is proposed as a means of further developing mass-gathering theory and moving beyond the current situation of reporting on individual case studies. To achieve this, a minimum data set with a data dictionary is proposed in an effort to generate conversation about a possible agreed minimum amount and type of information that should be collected consistently for research and evaluation at mass gatherings. Finally, this paper outlines future opportunities that will emerge from the consistent collection and reporting of mass-gathering data, including the possibility for meta-analysis, comparison of events across societies and modeling of various rates to inform health services.

RanseJ, HuttonA. Minimum Data Set for Mass-Gathering Health Research and Evaluation: A Discussion Paper. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(6):1-8.

Type
Comprehensive Review
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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.Arbon, P. Mass-gathering medicine: a review of the evidence and future directions for research. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(2):131-135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Arbon, P. The development of conceptual models for mass-gathering health. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2004;19(3):208-212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Milsten, AM, Maguire, BJ, Bissell, RA, Seaman, KG. Mass-gathering medical care: a review of the literature. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2002;17(3):151-162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Zeitz, KM, Zeitz, CJ, Arbon, P, Cheney, F, Johnston, R, Hennekam, J. Practical solutions for injury surveillance at mass gatherings. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2008;23(1):76-81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Rose, WD, Laird, SL, Prescott, JE, Kuhns, GB. Emergency medical services for collegiate football games: A six and one-half year review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1992;7:157-159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Morimura, N, Katsumi, A, Koido, Y, et al. Analysis of patient load data from the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2004;19(3):278-284.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Olapade-Olaopa, EO, Alonge, TO, Amanor-Boadu, SD, et al. On-site physicians at a major sporting event in Nigeria. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;21(1):40-44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Yazawa, K, Kamijo, Y, Sakai, R, Ohashi, M, Owa, M. Medical care for a mass gathering: the Suwa Onbashira Festival. Prehosp Disater Med. 2007;22(5):431-435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Pagano, M, Gauvreau, K. Principles of Biostatistics, 2nd ed. Pacific Grove, California USA: Duxbury Press; 2000.Google Scholar
10.Feldman, MJ, Lukins, JL, Verbeek, PR, MacDonald, RD, Burgess, RJ, Schwartz, B. Half-a-million strong: the emergency medical services response to a single day, mass gathering event. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2004;19(4):287-296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Zeitz, KM, Zeitz, CJ, Arbon, P. Forecasting medical work at mass-gathering events: predictive model versus retrospective review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;20(3):164-168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Hnatow, DA, Gordon, DJ. Medical planning for mass gathering: a retrospective review of the San Antonio Papal Mass. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1991;6(4):443-450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Hiltunen, T, Kuisma, M, Maataa, T, et al. Prehospital emergency care and medical preparedness for the 2005 World Championship Games in Athletics in Helsinki. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(4):304-311.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Nguyen, RB, Milsten, AM, Cushman, JT. Injury patterns and levels of care at a marathon. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2008;23(6):519-525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Injury surveillance national minimum data set: national health data dictionary, Version 12. National Health Data Dictionary. (Cat. no. HWI 57). Canberra: AIHW. 2003.Google Scholar
16.St John Ambulance Australia (SJAA). Event and emergency first aid minimum data set proposal. Canberra: Australia 2005.Google Scholar
17.Zeitz, KM, Schneider, DPA, Jarrett, D, Zeitz, CJ. Mass gathering events: retrospective analysis of patient presentations over seven years at an agricultural and horticultural show. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2002;17(3):147-150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Arbon, P, Bridgewater, FHG, Smith, C. Mass gathering medicine: a predictive model for patient presentation rates. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2001;16(3):109-116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar