Assessing surge capacity expansion plan awareness and attitudes: A survey of Connecticut hospitals.

This study aimed to ascertain levels of awareness and attitudes of healthcare professionals within four hospital personnel categories, regarding their facility's surge capacity expansion plan. The exploratory descriptive study used a 14-question electronic survey to collect data from hospital personnel in four labour categories. A total of 292 hospital staff from 32 Connecticut hospitals completed the survey, including executive staff mid-level management staff incident command hospital staff and emergency planning contacts.

Disaster and exercise performance information collection tool: capturing observations in four minutes or less.

The objectives of the work described in this paper were to: (a) identify existing gaps in data collection, processing and dissemination across all types of emergencies; (b) build a tool that permits documentation, manipulation and propagation of relevant observations in emergency preparedness exercises or real-world incidents to inform critical decision makers in real time and to facilitate the elaboration of lessons learned, best practices and pioneering strategies for the management of future disasters; (c) validate the efficacy of the tool for collecting, processing and disseminating disaster-related information, through its integration in a series of exercises. The disaster and exercise performance information collection tool (DEPICT) was developed to address needs identified via the analysis of survey responses provided by representatives of military and civilian organisations with disaster response experience. Consensus discussions were held to identify criteria and operational parameters for the tool.

Summary of the current operational epidemiological modelling landscape.

Through the National Center for Integrated Civilian-Military Domestic Disaster Medical Response, the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response and US Northern Command have initiated a study to determine the requirements of a national operational epidemiological modelling process. During a public health emergency, decision makers often require a variety of epidemiological information, including prospective forecasts that can be made available in the form of models. Currently, there is no formal process across US Government agencies and departments to synchronise epidemiological models with response organisations.