Roadmap for the protection of disaster research participants: findings from the World Trade Center Evacuation Study.
BACKGROUND
This report addresses the development, implementation, and evaluation of a protocol designed to protect participants from inadvertent emotional harm or further emotional trauma due to their participation in the World Trade Center Evacuation (WTCE) Study research project. This project was designed to identify the individual, organizational, and structural (environmental) factors associated with evacuation from the World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2 on 11 September 2001.


METHODS
Following published recommended practices for protecting potentially vulnerable disaster research participants, protective strategies and quality assurance processes were implemented and evaluated, including an assessment of the impact of participation on study subjects enrolled in the qualitative phase of the WTCE Study.


RESULTS
The implementation of a protocol designed to protect disaster study participants from further emotional trauma was feasible and effective in minimizing risk and monitoring for psychological injury associated with study participation.


CONCLUSIONS
Details about this successful strategy provide a roadmap that can be applied in other post-disaster research investigations.
Qureshi
Kristine A
KA
University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Gershon
Robyn R M
RR
Smailes
Elizabeth
E
Raveis
Victoria H
VH
Murphy
Bridgette
B
Matzner
Frederick
F
Fleischman
Alan R
AR
D004189:Disaster Planning; D006801:Humans; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012107:Research Design; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology*; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology