CHICAGO: In a world where unexpected emergencies and natural disasters are ever-present, preparedness is paramount. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recently released the online version of its Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness (eDMEP) course, making this important content accessible to a wider audience.
The eDMEP course provides physicians with essential knowledge and best practices for responding to mass casualty incidents. The course focuses on the hospital response to disaster. The overall goal is to motivate action and stimulate critical thinking to be ready for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Featuring diverse scenarios ranging from earthquakes to complex terrorist attacks, this comprehensive course ensures that learners are well-equipped to manage unforeseen emergencies.
What sets eDMEP apart is its innovative interactive approach. Each scenario immerses the learner into the crucial role of a trauma surgeon or triage officer responding to a specific disaster. The interactive scenarios help learners hone their triage skills in a virtual setting, preparing them for real-life situations. Furthermore, each scenario is tailored to the respective disaster, ensuring that casualties and injuries accurately reflect the conditions and unique needs of that event.
“Just like trauma, disaster management is a team endeavor. It requires 'all hands-on deck,' from the managers to the cleaning crews and from the trauma surgeons to the internists. This course not only provides information to all members of the disaster management team, it takes them by the hand and walks them through all the steps of disaster preparation, response, and recovery. The eDMEP case scenarios take online surgical education to the next level, providing opportunities to make decisions about patient care in realistic mass casualty situations by incorporating elements of game theory,” said Jeannette M. Capella, MD, MEd, FACS, Education Program Chair, ACS Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness (DMEP)/eDMEP.
The first eDMEP scenario addresses earthquake preparedness. The ACS will be rolling out additional scenarios, with the complete collection slated for early 2024.
The eDMEP course is a collaborative effort between the ACS and a distinguished panel of surgeons and experts experienced in disaster management. The new online version builds upon the longstanding ACS DMEP course, an in-person trauma education initiative focused on preparing medical professionals for mass casualty incidents. Through engaging lectures and interactive scenarios, DMEP imparts valuable knowledge on incident command terminology, disaster triage principles, injury patterns, and the resources available for assistance.
The overarching objectives of the eDMEP course encompass:
- Preparing participants for disaster readiness, response, and recovery
- Empowering participants to contribute effectively to hospital disaster preparedness
- Training participants to practice hospital disaster plans using interactive scenarios
More information about both eDMEP and the in-person DMEP courses is available on the ACS website. Both options provide extensive training and equip participants to effectively tackle mass casualty incidents.
