AHRQ publishes disaster preparedness guide

AHRQ publishes disaster preparedness guide

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a report, titled "Development of Models for Emergency Preparedness," to help field- and facility-based health care professionals plan for and respond to bioterrorism events or public health emergencies. The evidence-based, best-practice models in this report provide guidance on personal protective equipment, decontamination, isolation/ quarantine, and laboratory capacity.

Bettina Stopford, RN, FAEN, PMP, director of Public Health and Medical Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security Support Division, Science Applications International Corp. in McLean, VA, says, "As the past director of a Level I trauma center ED, and the principal investigator for this project, the models were developed with this particular target audience [EDs] in mind. We conducted the background best practices research and summarized the results for easy reference in developing and verifying policies and procedures for hands-on, operational plans in response to emergency events."

Of particular focus, she says, are events dealing with infectious or contaminated patients.

The publication can be downloaded free of charge at www.ahrq.gov/research/devmodels.