Medical planning considerations in consequence management.

The job of military medical planners is to prepare for the unthinkable and then establish a response that allows the civilian system of healthcare to continue to function. This article provides information and perspective that civilian healthcare providers can gain from their counterparts in the military. Two issues need to be considered simultaneously: preparedness, in the form of force health protection, and response, applying consequence management. The critical need for ongoing planning is clear. However, three things remain true despite our best planning efforts: individual behavior drives the response to mass casualty events, flexibility is the key to the success of any plan, and interagency coordination and trust is vital for an effective response.