Preparation of medical personnel for an early response humanitarian mission - lessons learned from the Israeli defense forces field hospital in the Philippines

The humanitarian and outreach ethics charter in ENT. Ethics at the heart of missions

Humanitarian action, in the broad sense, including global outreach missions by ENT physicians, has been effective for many years. These volunteer missions have not had any specific regulatory framework, be it medical, social or above all ethical. The testimony of ENT physicians in certain "recipient" countries, in particular during the 2017 Paris Congress of the International Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Societies (IFOS), revealed the importance of adequate coordination between "provider" and "recipient" teams. Several ethical reports have been made, but few specifically focused on ENT outreach. The present review is based on feedback from several missions given to the French Society of OtoRhinoLaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL) and IFOS, and on a review of the literature. A specific charter of global outreach and humanitarian missions in ENT has been drawn up. This review is essential for optimizing the sharing of knowledge and training in otorhinolaryngology across the world while respecting mandatory sociocultural and ethical rules.

Preparedness of Pharmaceutical Services in Military Organizations: Learning from an Assessment in Brazil

INTRODUCTION

The participation of armed forces in humanitarian operations and in disaster response is common in many countries. In Brazil, the armed forces have had history in providing health support to victims in emergencies, which also includes the provision of pharmaceutical services (PS).

PROBLEM

Even though being essential for the provision of health care in disaster response, the preparedness of PS is not well-addressed in the literature. The use of a comprehensive approach to evaluate preparedness of PS in military institutions may subsidize preparedness measures. The goals of this work were to analyze the preparedness of PS for disaster response and humanitarian aid in military units of a Brazilian armed force institution, and to propose a framework to improve the preparedness of PS in operational medicine.

METHODS

An investigation of a cross-sectional design was performed. A logic model and indicators to evaluate preparedness of PS were applied. Data were obtained from official documents, interviews with key stakeholders, and observation of good storage practices (GSP).

RESULTS

Identified were: lack of specific budget for medicine procurement in case of disaster, absence of emergency stockpile, proper means for medicine transportation, and records of trained health professionals. An emergency plan, a list of selected medicines, adaptable mobile health care units, and a system for mobilization of health professionals were some of the positive aspects recognized. Different aspects for improvement were acknowledged and recommendations to favor the efficiency and the quality of PS in emergencies were proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigation provided valuable results for the planning and execution of responses to disasters and humanitarian aid. The findings and proposed recommendations may be useful for other military organizations similar to those in Brazil.

Development, implementation, and evaluation of a lay responder disaster training package among school teachers in Angeles City, Philippines: using Witte's behavioral model

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to develop and implement a lay responder disaster training (LRDT) package with the intention to alter the perceived efficacy, perceived threat, and levels of fear among school teachers.

STUDY DESIGN

The study used an intervention-based design, wherein we intervened by conducting an LRDT which aimed to affect the participants' responses as defined by Witte's behavioral model (WBM).

METHODS

The LRDT package incorporated the usual disaster preparedness information but included the unexplored area of disaster first aid, which is lacking in most training currently being given. The entire LRDT was carried out for two consecutive days by an emergency medical services-accredited competency assessor. Preintervention and postintervention knowledge, level of fear, attitude, intentions, behavior, and a Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale was assessed using a structured questionnaire based on the WBM.

RESULTS

After conducting the LRDT as an intervention, the results show that there was a significant change in the knowledge, behavior, perceived threat, and level of fear among the participants. Other constructs, such as attitude, intentions, and perceived efficacy, were not statistically significant after the intervention.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, knowledge, behavior, and the perceived threat of the school teachers were significantly higher after the LRDT, and their level of fear was significantly lower. Based on these results, we can conclude that both the WBM questionnaire and the LRDT package showed potential in improving disaster risk reduction and management among school teachers in Angeles City, Philippines.