Citation

Phelps S, Doering G. Am. J. Disaster Med. 2008; 3(3): 157-163.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health, School of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Society of Disaster Medicine, Publisher Weston Medical Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18666512

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Describe a multilevel model of decontamination capacity for hospitals. DESIGN: Descriptive model. SETTING: Acute care hospitals with decontamination responsibilities. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: None. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): None. RESULTS: This multilevel model of defining decontamination capacity would allow more realistic assessment of current capacity, allow for fluctuating service levels depending on time of day, incorporate realistic ramp-up and ramp-down of decontamination services, allow for a defined fall-back decontamination model should decontamination processes fail, allow hospitals to define long-term decontamination service level goals, and allow better understanding of when and why to focus on low-risk/low-resource patients rather than high-risk/high-resource patients. CONCLUSIONS: This multiple-level model would allow for more realistic and effective hospital-based decontamination service models and should become part of the national decontamination paradigm.

Language: en