Transportation resource requirements for hospital evacuation

Area of Science:

• Disaster medicine
• Healthcare management
• Public health preparedness

Background:

• Hospitals, like other large structures, are vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters.
• Disasters impacting hospitals necessitate patient evacuation, requiring significant logistical support for transportation.
• Limited transportation resources, including ambulances, are often strained during community-wide emergencies, impacting hospital evacuation capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess hospital patient occupancy and transportation needs for effective evacuation planning.
• To develop a tool for determining transportation requirements during hospital evacuations.
• To inform efficient deployment of limited transportation resources during disaster scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A survey was designed to gather data on hospital occupancy and patient transportation needs.
• Data were collected from 62 hospitals located in Los Angeles County.
• The collected information was used to create a tool for estimating transportation requirements.

Main Results:

• Approximately 20% of hospital inpatients could be discharged to home shortly before an evacuation.
• About 40% of inpatients require transport via non-ambulance means like vans, buses, or private cars.
• The remaining 40% of inpatients necessitate ambulance transportation for evacuation.
• The survey also detailed the distribution of emergency and intensive care unit patients and their specific resource needs.

Conclusions:

• Effective hospital evacuation planning requires understanding patient distribution and transportation needs.
• A tiered approach to patient transport, utilizing various vehicle types, is crucial for efficient resource allocation.
• The developed tool can aid in planning and resource management for hospital evacuations during emergencies.