German hospital database-allocation of patients to appropriate hospitals

Effective response to radiological emergencies requires information about available qualified hospitals and defined methods to timely allocate patients to appropriate hospitals. In Germany, updated information about hospitals concerning their qualification and willingness to treat radiological emergency patients is not summarized. The objectives were to identify qualified hospitals, assess hospital capacities and treatment capabilities, to examine willingness to respond to various radiological emergencies and to develop a concept for matching patients to hospitals. A Germany-wide combined postal/Web survey of 99 selected hospitals conducted in 2007 covered relevant organizational characteristics, hospital resources, treatment expertise, and the willingness to accept radiological emergency patients by a self-reported written questionnaire with 57 items. Survey results were documented in a Microsoft Access database. A database-driven Web application was developed to allocate patients to hospitals. Of 99 hospitals, 69 responded and 54 indicated their willingness to accept radiological emergency patients. 17,512 total hospital beds, 2,084 intensive care, and 170 reverse isolation beds were reported. Availability of laboratory and in-patient departments ranged from 14 radiobiology to 47 laboratory medicine departments and from 13 burn care to 52 trauma surgery departments. 48 and 40 hospitals stated treatment competence for local and whole body external exposure, respectively. 34 and 29 hospitals reported treatment expertise for contamination and incorporation, respectively. In this publication baseline data of qualified hospitals concerning capacities and competence to manage radiological emergency patients are presented, and an allocation concept for radiological emergency patients is provided.