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Prehospital Preparedness for Major Incidents in Sweden: A National Survey with Focus on Mass-Casualty Incidents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2022

Joakim Agri Open the ORCID record for Joakim Agri [Opens in a new window] ,
Louise Söderin Open the ORCID record for Louise Söderin [Opens in a new window] ,
Elsa Hammarberg ,
Kristina Lennquist-Montán  and
Carl Montán
Joakim Agri*
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Louise Söderin
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Elsa Hammarberg
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Kristina Lennquist-Montán
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Carl Montán*
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
*
Correspondence: Joakim Agri or Carl Montán Bjurholmsplan 33, 116 63 Stockholm, Sweden E-mail: agrijoakim@gmail.com; carl.montan@regionstockholm.se
Correspondence: Joakim Agri or Carl Montán Bjurholmsplan 33, 116 63 Stockholm, Sweden E-mail: agrijoakim@gmail.com; carl.montan@regionstockholm.se
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Abstract

Introduction:

Major incidents (MIs) put great demands on the medical response to effectively organize and redistribute resources and personnel, in prehospital care as well as hospital care, and coordinating functions. Studies indicate that regular training and well-established contingency plans are vital for the medical response to MIs. Previous assessments have concluded that Swedish disaster preparedness requires improved organization and coordination. There is currently no method to easily follow-up the preparedness work of the prehospital medical response organizations for MIs in Sweden.

Problem:

The aim of the study was to assess qualifications and training requirements for central individual roles, to examine frequency and focus of training and simulation, as well as to examine current regional routines for MIs in Sweden. The aim was also to identify, to evaluate, and to investigate areas for improvement in prehospital health care preparedness for MIs in Sweden.

Methods:

Descriptive comparative study of Sweden’s prehospital organization, planning, education, and training for MIs through a web-based survey sent to all 21 regions in Sweden. The survey included 64 questions and was based on national legislation and guidelines for preparedness and previous investigations of real MIs.

Results:

A total of 37 answers to the survey were collected representing 17/21 regions (80.9%) from which Regional Management Individuals (RMIs) were selected from 15 regions and used as representative primary responses. The initial routines regarding alarm and establishment of management functions were mainly in-line with national guidelines. Staffing and qualification requirements for certain leadership roles differed substantially between regions. The requirements for the health care staff’s knowledge of the contingency plan were generally low and routines for follow-up were often lacking. The frequency of exercises in certain areas were deficient.

Conclusions:

The results of the study showed several potential areas for improvement within the prehospital emergency medical preparedness for MIs in Sweden. Methodology and adherence of national guidelines for medical response preparedness differ between regions in Sweden, which motivates recurring assessments. It is possible to use a well-prepared questionnaire study to follow-up and to examine parts of the regional prehospital preparedness work and organization for MIs.

Keywords

disaster preparednessmajor incidentmass-casualty incidentprehospital caretrauma
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , February 2023 , pp. 65 - 72
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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Footnotes

This article was updated on 31 January 2023.

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