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Emergency Surgery Data and Documentation Reporting Forms for Sudden-Onset Humanitarian Crises, Natural Disasters and the Existing Burden of Surgical Disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Frederick M. Burkle Jr.*
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC USA
Jason W. Nickerson
Affiliation:
Centre for Global Health, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Johan von Schreeb
Affiliation:
Surgeon, Division for Global Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Anthony D. Redmond
Affiliation:
Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Kelly A. McQueen
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee USA
Ian Norton
Affiliation:
Disaster Preparedness and Response, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center, Royal Darwin Hospital, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
Nobhojit Roy
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India
*
Correspondence: Frederick M. Burkle, Jr., MD, MPH, DTM, FAAP, FACEP Harvard University - Harvard Humanitarian Initiative 14 Story Street, 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 USA E-mail skipmd77@aol.com

Abstract

Following large-scale disasters and major complex emergencies, especially in resource-poor settings, emergency surgery is practiced by Foreign Medical Teams (FMTs) sent by governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These surgical experiences have not yielded an appropriate standardized collection of data and reporting to meet standards required by national authorities, the World Health Organization, and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Global Health Cluster. Utilizing the 2011 International Data Collection guidelines for surgery initiated by Médecins Sans Frontières, the authors of this paper developed an individual patient-centric form and an International Standard Reporting Template for Surgical Care to record data for victims of a disaster as well as the co-existing burden of surgical disease within the affected community. The data includes surgical patient outcomes and perioperative mortality, along with referrals for rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial care. The purpose of the standard data format is fourfold: (1) to ensure that all surgical providers, especially from indigenous first responder teams and others performing emergency surgery, from national and international (Foreign) medical teams, contribute relevant and purposeful reporting; (2) to provide universally acceptable forms that meet the minimal needs of both national authorities and the Health Cluster; (3) to increase transparency and accountability, contributing to improved humanitarian coordination; and (4) to facilitate a comprehensive review of services provided to those affected by the crisis.

BurkleFMJr, NickersonJW, von SchreebJ, RedmondAD, McQueenKA, NortonI, RoyN. Emergency Surgery Data and Documentation Reporting Forms for Sudden-Onset Humanitarian Crises, Natural Disasters and the Existing Burden of Surgical Disease. Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(6):1-6.

Type
Special Report
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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