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Integrated Compensatory Responses in a Human Model of Hemorrhage
Published on: November 20, 2016
Mass casualty modelling: a spatial tool to support triage decision making.
Ofer Amram1, Nadine Schuurman, Syed M Hameed
1Geography Department, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
International Journal of Health Geographics
|June 14, 2011
Summary
A new web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS) aids mass casualty incident (MCI) evacuation by providing critical hospital data. This system helps decision-makers choose appropriate facilities, improving patient survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Background:
- Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) require timely patient evacuation to appropriate healthcare facilities for survival.
- Existing systems lack evidence-based support for critical evacuation decisions at incident scenes.
- A web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed to address this gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a web-based SDSS for informed decision-making during MCI patient evacuations.
- To provide real-time data on hospital proximity, capacity, and specialization to incident commanders.
- To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of patient triage and transport during mass casualty events.
Main Methods:
- The SDSS utilizes pre-calculated driving times integrated with road network data for rapid travel time estimation.
- It incorporates hospital data including capacity and treatment specialties.
- The system features a user-friendly interface for mapping incident locations and supporting triage decisions.
Main Results:
- The SDSS quickly displays driving times from the MCI location to surrounding hospitals.
- Information on hospital capacity and capabilities is presented alongside travel times.
- The system assists users in making informed evacuation and triage decisions.
Conclusions:
- Spatial decision support systems (SDSS) offer significant value in prioritizing MCI evacuations.
- The model's effectiveness relies on pre-calculated driving times across the regional road network.
- Future improvements include integrating real-time traffic and dynamic hospital capacity data.
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