Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Begin with the agreement on shared respon-
sibility among all partners in the planning
process. It is not adequate for individual institu-
tions and systems to have emergency response
plans unless those plans are coordinated into a
single unified response system.
•
When privacy and confidentiality may have to
be breached.
Principle 5: Clear communication with the
public is essential before, during, and after
a mass-casualty event.
To manage expectations and educate the public
about the impact of an event, whom to call
for information, where to go for care, and what
to expect,
•
Be consistent. Planning also should be inte-
grated with Federal, State and local emer-
gency plans.
the following points should be kept
Principle 3: There must be an adequate
legal framework for providing health and
medical care in a mass casualty event.
An adequate legal framework for providing health
and medical care in a mass-casualty event would
do the following:
in mind:
•
The public should be brought into the discus-
sion during the early stages of planning so
that citizens develop a clear understanding of
concepts such as rationing of resources.
•
Public understanding and acceptance of plans
are essential to success.
•
Include a designation of the authority to declare
an emergency and implement temporary alter-
ations in standards of care.
•
Messages should be consistent and timely at all
stages.
•
Define the conditions for temporary modifica-
tion of laws and regulations that govern medical
care under normal conditions.
•
Official health and medical care messages
should be delivered through public media by
a local physician whom the public perceives
to have knowledge of the event and the area,
a representative of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), or the Surgeon
General, depending on the level of communi-
cation necessary.
•
Be simple, clear, and easy to communicate to
providers and the public.
•
Be flexible enough to accommodate the demands
of events that vary in size and velocity, such as
an explosive or biological event.
•
Spokespersons at all levels—local, State,
regional, and Federal—should coordinate their
messages.
Principle 4: The rights of individuals must
be protected to the extent possible and
reasonable under the circumstances.
The rights of individuals must be protected to the
extent possible and reasonable:
•
It may be necessary to vary the modes of
communication according to the type of infor-
mation to be communicated, the target audi-
ence for which it is intended, and the oper-
ating condition of media outlets, which may be
directly affected. Variations that illustrate this
point but that do not reflect expert discussion
include the need to use languages other than
English and the need to use alternatives to usual
media outlets in the affected area. Also, national
audience messages would be less detailed and
specific than messages to the affected area.
•
In
establishing
and
operationalizing
an
adequate legal
framework for
the delivery
of care.
•
In determining the basis on which scarce
resources will be allocated.
•
When considering limiting personal freedom
through quarantine or isolation as well as the
conditions for release.
