Setting Foundations for Developing Disaster Response Metrics.
There are few reported efforts to define universal disaster response performance measures. Careful examination of responses to past disasters can inform the development of such measures. As a first step toward this goal, we conducted a literature review to identify key factors in responses to 3 recent events with significant loss of human life and economic impact: the 2003 Bam, Iran, earthquake; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami; and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Using the PubMed (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD) database, we identified 710 articles and retained 124 after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seventy-two articles pertained to the Haiti earthquake, 38 to the Indian Ocean tsunami, and 14 to the Bam earthquake. On the basis of this review, we developed an organizational framework for disaster response performance measurement with 5 key disaster response categories: (1) personnel, (2) supplies and equipment, (3) transportation, (4) timeliness and efficiency, and (5) interagency cooperation. Under each of these, and again informed by the literature, we identified subcategories and specific items that could be developed into standardized performance measures. The validity and comprehensiveness of these measures can be tested by applying them to other recent and future disaster responses, after which standardized performance measures can be developed through a consensus process. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:505-509).
1Department of Emergency Medicine,Institute of Health Care Policy and Innovation, Acute Care Research Unit, University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,Michigan.
Mahshid
M
Abir
3School of Nursing,University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,Michigan.
Sue Anne
SA
Bell
4CEP America,Department of Emergency Medicine,Providence Hospital,Washington, DC.
Neha
N
Puppala
5Department of Emergency Medicine,Ministry of Health,Kingdom of Bahrain.
Osama
O
Awad
2RAND Corporation,Arlington,Virginia.
Melinda
M
Moore
D057191:Capacity Building / Q000379:methods; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D004190:Disasters / Q000266:history; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D014894:Weights and Measures / Q000295:instrumentation*
capacity building; disaster planning; emergency preparedness; natural disasters; relief work