COncORDE – Development of Coordination Mechanisms during Different Kinds of Emergencies
The threat of mass casualty incidents or medical surges to healthcare systems has always been present. Preparing essential parts of the healthcare system such as hospitals and their partners to prevent, respond, and rapidly recover from these threats is critical for protecting and securing the entire health infrastructure. Large-scale disaster situations causing mass casualty incidents are characterised by large numbers of same-type injuries which require immediate and simultaneous medical intervention and means of support such as ambulances, surgeries, specialists, diagnostic equipment and others.
These characteristics underline the need for enhanced communication between medical institutions and other organisations involved in disaster management. At the same time, the surge of demand for services to patients points to the need for better organisation within hospitals concerning the deployment of specialists and the availability of medical supplies, transportation, rooms and equipment.
While a variety of incidents may necessitate an emergency response, different types of such incidents (natural disasters, explosions, humanitarian crises and others) mean a different framework for responders. While health responders are ubiquitous in their involvement with the response to an emergency situation, the parameters regarding how they are involved greatly differ with the type of threat represented.
The COncORDE project will develop a Decision Support System (DSS) to improve preparedness and interoperability of medical services during an emergency which affects the health of the population at local, regional or cross-border level. The project will incorporate existing operational assets related to security, trust and infrastructure and leverage them within the DSS.
PSCE is mainly involved in dissemination activities and definitions of working groups of stakeholders and experts.
→ Visit COncORDE: http://www.concorde-project.eu/