@article{ref1,
title="Observed benefits to on-site medical services during an annual 5-day electronic dance music event with harm reduction services",
journal="Prehospital and disaster medicine",
year="2016",
author="Munn, Matthew Brendan and Lund, Adam and Golby, Riley and Turris, Sheila A.",
volume="31",
number="2",
pages="228-234",
abstract="BACKGROUND: With increasing attendance and media attention, large-scale electronic dance music events (EDMEs) are a subset of mass gatherings that have a unique risk profile for attendees and promoters. Shambhala Music Festival (Canada) is a multi-day event in a rural setting with a recognized history of providing harm reduction (HR) services alongside medical care. Study/Objective This manuscript describes the medical response at a multi-day electronic music festival where on-site HR interventions and dedicated medical care are delivered as parallel public health measures. <br><br>METHODS: This study was a descriptive case report. Medical encounters and event-related data were documented prospectively using an established event registry database. <br><br>RESULTS: In 2014, Shambhala Music Festival had 67,120 cumulative attendees over a 7-day period, with a peak daily attendance of 15,380 people. There were 1,393 patient encounters and the patient presentation rate (PPR) was 20.8 per one thousand. The majority of these (90.9%) were for non-urgent complaints. The ambulance transfer rate (ATR) was 0.194 per one thousand and 0.93% of patient encounters were transferred by ambulance. No patients required intubation and there were no fatalities. Harm reduction services included mobile outreach teams, distribution of educational materials, pill checking facilities, a dedicated women's space, and a &quot;Sanctuary&quot; area that provided non-medical peer support for overwhelmed guests. More than 10,000 encounters were recorded by mobile and booth-based preventive and educational services, and 2,786 pills were checked on-site with a seven percent discard rate. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Dedicated medical and HR services represent two complementary public health strategies to minimize risk at a multi-day electronic music festival. The specific extent to which HR strategies reduce the need for medical care is not well understood. Incorporation of HR practices when planning on-site medical care has the potential to inform patient management, reduce presentation rates and acuity, and decrease utilization and cost for local, community-based health services. Munn MB , Lund A , Golby R , Turris SA. Observed benefits to on-site medical services during an annual 5-day electronic dance music event with harm reduction services. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(2):1-7.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1049-023X",
doi="10.1017/S1049023X16000054",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X16000054"
}