Characteristics of medical teams responding to disasters: a scoping review
Abstract
Disasters present unique challenges for teams whose objective is to provide medical assistance to those impacted immediately following the event (1-2). These challenges are further exacerbated in low-resource settings where there is often a limited or no management system in place to help mitigate disasters, as well as limited healthcare systems in place prior to the disaster that could be re-established. To achieve their objective, and provide the greatest level of support, these teams must be able to function effectively. This poses the question of what are the characteristics of medical teams responding to disasters. The aim of this paper is to conduct a scoping review (3-4) of the literature that focuses on the characteristics of these teams, and how they are developed. The author’s intent is that this research can be used to better understand disaster response teams, as well as inform their future development.
References
1. Schultz CH, Koenig KL, Noji, EK. A medical disaster response to reduce immediate mortality after an earthquake. N Engl J Med. 1996; 334(7):438-444.
2. Tekeli-Yeşil S. Public health and natural disasters: disaster preparedness and response in health systems. J Public Health. 2006; 14(5):317-324.
3. Arksey H, O'Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Meth. 2005; 8(1):19-32.
4. Daudt HM, Van Mossel C, Scott SJ. Enhancing the scoping study methodology: a large, inter-professional team’s experience with Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013; 13(1):48.
5. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006; 3(2):77-101.
6. Kendra JM, Wachtendorf T. Creativity in emergency response after the World Trade Center attack. Dissertation. 2006.
7. Webb GR, Beverly M, McMichael M, Noon J, Patterson T. Role improvising under conditions of uncertainty: A classification of types. Manuscript; 1999.
8. Harrald JR. (2006). Agility and discipline: critical success factors for disaster response. Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 2006; 604(1):256-272.
9. Benner P, Stephan J, Renard A, Petitjean F, Larger D, Pons D, et al. Role of the French Rescue Teams in Diquini Hospital: Port-au-Prince, January 2010. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012; 27(06):615-619.
10. King RV, North CS, Larkin GL, Downs DL, Klein KR, Fowler RL, et al. Attributes of effective disaster responders: focus group discussions with key emergency response leaders. Disaster Med Public Health. 2010; 4(04):332-338.
11. Djalali A, Ingrassia PL, Corte FD, Foletti M, Gallardo AR, Ragazzoni L, et al. Identifying deficiencies in national and foreign medical team responses through expert opinion surveys: Implications for education and training. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014; 29(04):364-368.
12. Aitken P, Leggat PA, Robertson AG, Harley H, Speare R, Leclercq MG. Leadership and use of standards by Australian disaster medical assistance teams: results of a national survey of team members. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012; 27(02):142-147.
13. Cohen SS, Mulvaney K. Field observations: disaster medical assistance team response for Hurricane Charley, Punta Gorda, Florida, August 2004. Disaster Manag Response. 2005; 3(1):22-27.
