A comparison of command center activations versus disaster drills at three institutions from 2013 to 2015.

Objective: Disaster exercises often simulate rare, worst-case scenario events that range from mass casualty incidents to severe weather events. In actuality, situations such as information system downtimes and physical plant failures may affect hospital continuity of operations far more significantly. The objective of this study is to evaluate disaster drills at two academic and one community hospital to compare the frequency of planned drills versus real-world events that led to emergency management command center activation.

A Systematic Review of Health Outcomes Among Disaster and Humanitarian Responders.

Unlabelled: Introduction Disaster and humanitarian responders are at-risk of experiencing a wide range of physical and psychological health conditions, from minor injuries to chronic mental health problems and fatalities. This article reviews the current literature on the major health outcomes of responders to various disasters and conflicts in order to better inform individuals of the risks and to inform deploying agencies of the health care needs of responders.

Methods: In March 2014, an EMBASE search was conducted using pre-defined search criteria.