Project List

Previous Projects

Evaluation of Healthcare Worker Response to Disaster Conditions

Principal:
Linda Kruus
Emergency Medicine

Participants:
Brenda Seals
Chad Thomas
David Karras
Nina Gentile
Robert McNamara
Wayne Satz
Gerald Wydro
Ernest Yeh
Leslie Carroll
Sharon Mattia

This project seeks to develop and pilot test an evaluation of healthcare worker behavior under disaster conditions, determine the likelihood that they will work under conditions of varying levels of threat, and, assess individual differences in response as a function of discipline, workplace location, cognitive-affective mediating units, and perceived barriers and facilitators.

Funding Source:
Temple University OVPR, January 2005-June 2006

Recent Accomplishments:

• A survey instrument was developed to assess the anticipated response of individuals to a variety of hypothetical crisis situations. Survey development methods were based upon the nominal group technique in which disaster planning experts and survey design experts in Temple’s Departments of Emergency Medicine and Public Health created 3 scenarios simulating varying degrees of threat to the safety of individual healthcare workers or the workers’ families.

• This version of the survey was administered to HCWs of varying disciplines in Phase I of this program of research. Additional refinement was made based on preliminary item variability and respondent feedback.  Response options to open-ended questions were also developed.
  
• The next phase involves administering the survey to HCWs affiliated with Temple and other hospitals in the surrounding area. Data collection in this phase is currently underway.