Giuseppe
Emeritus
Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response -- First, Be Prepared (N Engl J Med., 1st paragraph, edited)
[Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Free Full PDF Document: LINK. EDITED.]
Volume 362:872-873 March 11, 2010 Number 10
Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response ? First, Be Prepared
Raina M. Merchant, M.D., Janet E. Leigh, B.D.S., D.M.D, and Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H.
The human suffering that followed the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the many survivors in urgent need of lifesaving care, brought an outpouring of support from the U.S. health care community. Many providers looked for effective ways to help, and many were frustrated by their inability to connect with a system that could immediately take advantage of their skills. Unfortunately, such spontaneous volunteerism can overwhelm a response system and, unless coordinated, can make things worse instead of better. Health care volunteers can enhance their effectiveness by preparing for a disaster before it occurs and thinking critically about their ability to respond. Here we provide an overview for health care professionals about how to volunteer to help in public health emergencies and disasters.
(...)
[To read the free full source text, readers can follow this link: <cite cite="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/362/10/872?query=TOC">NEJM -- Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response -- First, Be Prepared</cite> ]
[Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Free Full PDF Document: LINK. EDITED.]
Volume 362:872-873 March 11, 2010 Number 10
Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response ? First, Be Prepared
Raina M. Merchant, M.D., Janet E. Leigh, B.D.S., D.M.D, and Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H.
The human suffering that followed the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the many survivors in urgent need of lifesaving care, brought an outpouring of support from the U.S. health care community. Many providers looked for effective ways to help, and many were frustrated by their inability to connect with a system that could immediately take advantage of their skills. Unfortunately, such spontaneous volunteerism can overwhelm a response system and, unless coordinated, can make things worse instead of better. Health care volunteers can enhance their effectiveness by preparing for a disaster before it occurs and thinking critically about their ability to respond. Here we provide an overview for health care professionals about how to volunteer to help in public health emergencies and disasters.
(...)
[To read the free full source text, readers can follow this link: <cite cite="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/362/10/872?query=TOC">NEJM -- Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response -- First, Be Prepared</cite> ]