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Using Telemedicine in Mass Casualty Disasters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2020

Megan E. Gregory*
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Assistant Professor, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics and Systems Thinking in Health Services Research (CATALYST), The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
Shirley C. Sonesh
Affiliation:
Founder, Sonnenschein Consulting, LLC. New Orleans, Louisiana
Ashley M. Hughes
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Research Health Scientist, Center of Innovations in Complex, Chronic Healthcare (CINCCH), Edward Hines JR VA Medical Center, Hines, Illinois
Antonio Marttos
Affiliation:
Associate Professor of Surgery, Dewitt Daughtry Department of Surgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida Director of Global e-Health /Trauma Telemedicine, William Lehman Injury Research Center, Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
Carl I. Schulman
Affiliation:
Professor of Surgery, Dewitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida Director of William Lehman Injury Research Center, Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
Eduardo Salas
Affiliation:
Professor and Allyn R. & Gladys M. Cline Chair, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Megan E. Gregory, 460 Medical Center Dr., Suite 516, Columbus, OH43210; (e-mail: megan.gregory@osumc.edu).

Abstract

Objectives:

The goal of this study is to test an implementation and examine users’ perceptions about the usefulness of telemedicine in mass casualty and disaster settings and to provide recommendations for using telemedicine in these settings.

Methods:

Ninety-two US Army Forward Surgical Team (FST) members participated in a high-fidelity mass casualty simulation at the Army Trauma Training Center (ATTC). Telemedicine was implemented into this simulation.

Results:

Only 10.9% of participants chose to use telemedicine. The most common users were surgeons and nurses. Participants believed it somewhat improved patient care, attainment of expert resources, decision-making, and adaptation, but not the timeliness of patient care. Participants reported several barriers to using telemedicine in the mass casualty setting, including (1) confusion around team roles, (2) time constraints, and (3) difficultly using in the mass casualty setting (eg, due to noise and other conditions).

Conclusions:

There appear to be barriers to the use and usefulness of telemedicine in mass casualty and disaster contexts. Recommendations include designating a member to lead the use of telemedicine, providing telemedical resources whose benefits outweigh the perceived cost in lost time, and ensuring telemedicine systems are designed for the conditions inherent to mass casualty and disaster settings.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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