Surge Capacity and Health System Preparedness: Facilities and Equipment

Development of Models for Emergency Preparedness: Personal Protective Equipment, Decontamination, Isolation/Quarantine, and Laboratory Capacity

Slide Presentation by Bettina M. Stopford

On July 13, 2004,  Bettina M. Stopford R.N. made a presentation in a Web Conference entitled Surge Capacity and Health System Preparedness: Facilities and Equipment.

This is the text version of her slide presentation. Select to access the PowerPoint® slides (218 KB).

Slide 1

Development of Models for Emergency Preparedness: Personal Protective Equipment, Decontamination, Isolation/Quarantine, and Laboratory Capacity

Bettina M. Stopford R.N. 
Director
Public Health and Medical Emergency Preparedness
Homeland Security Support Operations
Science Applications International Corporation
McLean, VA

Slide 2:

Project Overview & Goals

• AHRQ Bioterrorism Initiative:
  • To examine current evidence-based best practices and present them in an operationally pertinent format for the end user.
• Review research and obtain key stakeholder input 4 topic areas:
  • To assess, identify, measure, and prepare guidelines and models for evidence-based, best-demonstrated practices
  • Identify research gaps, shortfalls and future needs
  • Identify health care-focused enhancements to the existing automated exercise and assessment program scenarios, (AEAS).

Slide 3:

Methodology

• Open-source literature research.
• Government/industry regulation reviews.
• Subject matter expert interviews.
• Stakeholder review of draft document and models.
• Stakeholder conference.

Slide 4:

Stakeholders

• Broad spectrum of Federal, State, local, academic, civilian, military, regulatory, operations, and clinical subject matter experts.
• JCAHO, OSHA, NIOSH, DHS ODP, HHS, CDC, SBCCOM, ATSDR, ENA, ACEP, AHA, ANA, APIC, ABSA, ASHE, ASTM, IACP, IAFC, IAEMT, DoD, APHL, NDMS, ASHRM, HRSA, USAMRIID, Risk Management, Law, Universities, public health, medical, nursing, bioethics, laboratory and hazardous materials professionals, among others.

Slide 5:

Goals of Model Development

• Create operational planning user tool.
• Evidence-based, best-demonstrated practices.

Results:

• Four sets of guidelines/models developed.
• One electronic, interactive model for review.

Slide 6:

Guideline Questions for Model

• Adaptability: Is the best practice suitable for use in any region?
• Throughput: How many victims of a WMD attack will the best practice aid?
• Cost: How much will it cost regions to implement the best practice?
• Operational Impact: What are the operational considerations of implementing best practice?
• Training: What level of training does this best practice require?

Slide 7:

Guideline Questions for Model

• Resources: Does the practice build on existing practices/infrastructure? Are there available resources to implement the practices?
• Morbidity and Mortality: What impact will this practice have on saving lives?
• Evidence-based Practice vs. Theory: Is there a body of professional research supporting this practice or is it theoretical?
• Regulatory Compliance: Does the practice comply with existing regulations or does it require a regulatory change?

Slide 8:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Distinguish between a contaminated patient event vs. an infectious patient event.
• PPE choice for an infectious patient/agent is determined by infection control guidelines.
• PPE choice for a contaminated patient is guided by new OSHA standards.
• PPE should be selected based on the results of a community-based hazards vulnerability analysis (HVA) that should reveal credible threats, as well a role (such as EMS vs. facility based).

Slide 9:

Isolation/Quarantine

Best practices model for plan development includes the following components:

• Hazards Vulnerability Analysis.
• Review of existing community action plans.
• Gap analysis.
• Establish isolation barriers.
• Designated isolation/quarantine facilities.

Slide 10:

Isolation/Quarantine

Best practices model for plan development includes the following components:

• Ease in fiscal restraints.
• Technology use.
• Legal and regulatory authority.
• Surge capacity.
• Mobile medical units.
• Training and education.
• Active, early surveillance.
• Reporting incentives.
• Increased Epi capacity.
• Rapid ID, isolation, notification.

Slide 11:

Laboratory Capacity

• Laboratories will play a critical role in the response to any BT event.
• Ensuring a practiced, streamlined system is paramount to achieve maximum laboratory surge capacity.
• Timeliness, accuracy and security of lab diagnostics will have a direct impact on containment, mitigation and clinical treatment.
• Laboratory surge capacity issues must be addressed at local, State and national levels.
• Three elements of containment determine BioSafety (BSL) level.
• Laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment, and facility design.

Slide 12

Decontamination

• A spiral development approach is required to build a community or region's capacity.
• Decontamination should be fully integrated into Planning Organization Equipment Training and Exercises (POETE).
• Decontamination best practices were quantified in an interactive emergency planning.

Slide 13:

This slides contains a graphic which lists the word "research" followed by an arrow pointing to "practice".  Under research is AHRQ's logo and under the word practice is SAIC's logo.

Current as of October 2004

Internet Citation:

Development of Models for Emergency Preparedness: Personal Protective Equipment, Decontamination, Isolation/Quarantine, and Laboratory Capacity. Text version of a slide presentation at a Web conference. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/btsurgefacil/stopftxt.htm

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