The role of on-site care in hospital avoidance at mass gathering events

Researchers: Alison Hutton, Brett Aimers, Jamie Ranse, Paul Arbon.

It is generally accepted that mass gathering events have a heightened potential to produce a higher incidence of illness, injury and therefore a subsequent increase in demand for ambulance and hospital resources. The balance between planning for mass gathering health care and maintaining adequate community resources is an emerging issue for health agencies today (Gutman, Lund & Turris, 2007).

Currently, the body of literature that examines the provision of health care at mass gatherings is under developed and may not accurately reflect the impact of on site health agencies on ‘hospital avoidance ’. St John Ambulance Australia is well positioned to contribute to this subject by exploring its role in hospital avoidance when deployed to mass gatherings.

Therefore this project aims to identify the number of patients that would have ordinarily required hospital care who were provided with end-to-end care and discharged by St John Ambulance Australia. Secondly to determine the injuries and illnesses that would ordinarily require ambulance transport from a mass gathering to hospital.

Study of Czech Republic EMS preparedness: large number of injuries and casualties - bus accident

Researcher: Ondrej Prudel

Czech Republic became an important transit country for international road transport after joining the EU. This led to an increasing traffic situation with many buses on the roads. My research forms part of a university theses analyses situation of Czech EMS, and how it is solved with large number of bus accident injuries and casualties. Aims of the research are to analyse the continous process of eduacation of paramedics, such as: drills, EMS equipment, overall preparedness, how was bus accidents solved in the past (triage, transportation, crisis preparedness), differents between drills and true situation.

Hypothesis of project are:
1) Czech EMS are prepared to solve bus accident situation, and
2) Drill trainings help to improve preparedness of local EMS

Mass emergency preparedness of acute care services in Oman and New Zealand: an international comparative analysis

Researchers: Sultan Al-Shaqsi (MBChB/PhD candidate) Robin Gauld (supervisor) David McBride (supervisor) Ammar Al-Kashmiri (supervisor) Abdullah Al-Harthy (supervisor)

This project analyses strategic and operational preparedness of ambulance, emergency, surgical and intensive care services in New Zealand and Oman to respond to mass emergency events.