Medical Allocations to Persons with Special Needs during a Bioterrorism Event

Authors

  • Donald E Brannen Greene County Public Health
  • Melissa Branum Greene County Public Health
  • Sejal Pawani Greene County Public Health
  • Sandy Miller Clark County Combined Health District
  • Jeanne Bowman Champaign County Health Department
  • Tracy Clare Dayton-Montgomery County Public Health

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v8i3.6977

Abstract

After the bioterrorism-anthrax attacks of 2001, individual public health officials were tasked with planning population-wide medicine dispensing. This planning started with assumptions and then evaluations of seasonal immunization clinics. Research of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic-vaccination campaign showed that an adequately prepared public health system could have prevented over 16% of flu-associated hospitalizations. The 2011 ice storms revealed difficulties with sheltering medically fragile persons with disabilities. Later research showed that training and preparedness levels increased responders’ willingness to serve. Also, when triaging disaster survivors to general shelters, medical shelters, or mental health services; sorting to community mass care services improved up to 15% when past traumatic effects, personal care assistance, or service methodology were accounted for. The number of persons who are disabled and dependent on electric medical equipment are increasing. This current study compared the time it takes to dispense medication to two different cohorts: a general-population cohort (n=31) and a special-needs cohort (n=30). The cohort comprised entirely of persons with special needs took 4.1 compared to 2.48 minutes per person in a general population cohort (p=.057). A person with any special needs took 3.73 versus 2.43 minutes for a person with no special needs (p=.082). Modeling of service times per station and cohort type found significant delays at the medical station among persons in the general population who are pregnant (840 seconds, p=.002) and persons in the special needs cohort with a language barrier (750 seconds, p=.001).

Author Biographies

Donald E Brannen, Greene County Public Health

Dr. Brannen has graduate degrees in Public Health, Health Services Administration, and Epidemiology, and undergraduate degrees in liberal arts and medical laboratory sciences. He is a Public Health Epidemiologist for Greene County, Ohio; Unit Leader for the Greene County Medical Reserve Corps; Adjunct Professor of Health Services Administration, Xavier University in Cincinnati; and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Community Health, Boonshoft College of Medicine, Wright State University, Ohio. He has peer-reviewed publications in sleep research, public health, and disaster preparedness.

Melissa Branum, Greene County Public Health

Health Commissioner, Greene County, Ohio.

Sejal Pawani, Greene County Public Health

Multiple ophthalmological residencies, skilled in cataract surgeries, trabeculoplasties, trauma, and other medical procedures. Diplomate of the National Boardof Ophthalmology, Fellowship in Glaucoma, Fellowship of College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ophthalmology, Diploma in Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery, and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

Sandy Miller, Clark County Combined Health District

Public Health Nurse and Medical Reserve Corps unit leader.

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Published

2016-12-28

How to Cite

Brannen, D. E., Branum, M., Pawani, S., Miller, S., Bowman, J., & Clare, T. (2016). Medical Allocations to Persons with Special Needs during a Bioterrorism Event. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v8i3.6977

Issue

Section

Original Articles