Surge capacity evaluation of an emergency department in case of mass casualty

Abstract

Health care has experienced many silos efforts to address mitigation and preparedness for large scale emergencies or disasters that can bring catastrophic consequences. All professionals and experts in this area have each developed relatively independent efforts to enhance emergency response of a health care facility in case of some disaster, but the need of the time is to integrate all these crucially important initiatives. A comprehensive surge management plan that provides coherent strategic guidance and tactical directions should be developed and implemented on priority in each health care installation on facility level followed by its integration with state surge management plan for optimum use or high utilization of space, resources and services. This research uses the concept of daily surge status and capacity of a health care facility, its relationship and the need of its effective integration with state level surge management plan which is a relatively new area to be considered. The simulation modeling and analysis technique is used for the modeling of an emergency department of a health care facility under consideration and after having an insight of the prevailing situation, few crowding indices were developed while considering resource capacities for the purpose of using them appropriately to reflect facility's daily surge status when required. The crowding indices as developed will highlight health care facility AS-IS situation after a specific time interval as defined by the management and will actuate relevant surge control measures in the light of developed surge management plan to effectively and efficiently cater for the surge and for restoration of normal facility working and operation. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.