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Addressing Children's Needs in Disasters: A Regional Pediatric Tabletop Exercise.
Sarita Chung1, Aaron H Gardner2, David J Schonfeld3
11Division of Emergency Medicine,Boston Children's Hospital,Boston,Massachusetts.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
|January 16, 2018
Summary
A tabletop exercise effectively improved pediatric public health emergency preparedness by identifying over 100 strategies and boosting participant confidence and knowledge. This approach enhances collaboration between pediatricians and public health officials.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Emergency Preparedness
- Pediatric Disaster Response
Background:
- Children's needs during public health emergencies present unique challenges.
- Existing strategies for pediatric preparedness require ongoing assessment and improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a tabletop exercise's effectiveness in initiating pediatric preparedness strategies.
- To assess the exercise's impact on participants' understanding and confidence in their roles during pediatric public health emergencies.
Main Methods:
- A tabletop exercise simulated a multi-state smallpox emergency involving a child.
- Participants developed communication, collaboration, and medical countermeasure strategies.
- Evaluation focused on knowledge gained and confidence levels regarding pediatric public health emergencies.
Main Results:
- Over 100 communication and collaboration strategies were identified to enhance pediatric preparedness.
- The partnership between pediatricians and public health officials was deemed highly beneficial.
- Participants demonstrated increased knowledge and confidence post-exercise.
Conclusions:
- Tabletop exercises are effective tools for improving pediatric public health preparedness.
- The exercise successfully enhanced participants' knowledge and confidence in managing pediatric public health emergencies.