title: Examining New York City Hospitals’ Nonuse of Medical Volunteers in Disasters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe hospitals’ perceptions of the New York City Medical Reserve Corps (NYC MRC); clarify administrative, legal, and clinical obstacles to the use of NYC MRC volunteers; and identify possible strategies to overcome these barriers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered an informational questionnaire to 33 NYC hospitals and conducted 2 facilitated discussion groups comprising 62 hospital representatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most commonly reported hospital barriers to the use of MRC volunteers were concerns about the clinical competence of the volunteers, their lack of familiarity with medical technology used clinically in a hospital setting, and the potential for institutional liability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the NYC MRC has the potential to assist the health care system in the event of a disaster, NYC hospitals will need clarification of the clinical and legal issues involved in the use of MRC volunteers for patient care.
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trued
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: Darrin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pruitt
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004190:Disasters; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers