Simulation exercises for disaster preparedness
Citation: Mahdi SS, Jafri HA, Allana R, et al. Systematic review on the current state of disaster preparation Simulation Exercises (SimEx). BMC Emergency Medicine. 2023;23(1):52.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: The authors reported no external funding.
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for articles that evaluated various simulation exercises (SimEx) for disaster medicine, and the challenges that response organisations faced. They restricted their searches to peer-reviewed articles published in English after 2014. The authors included 29 articles.
What was found: SimEx was an excellent tool for improving disaster planning and response. Simulations included tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. SimEx programmes could be improved by standardisation of procedures, more rigorous evaluation, and addressing barriers to implementation.
Implications: Disaster preparedness in healthcare requires a multi-faceted approach based on specific needs, resources, and goals. The authors stated that simulation exercises improve emergency plans by the identification of weaknesses and limitations in an organisation.
Other considerations: The authors of the review did not discuss their findings in the context of issues relating to health equity.
This summary was prepared by Joly Ghanawi, checked by Sneha Bhadti, and finalized by William Summerskill.