Edwards Thomas D, Young Richard A, Lowe Adonna F
JPS Family Medicine Residency Program, JPS Health Network, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA.
Ann Fam Med. 2007 Mar-Apr;5(2):170-4. doi: 10.1370/afm.646.
Primary care physicians are rarely mentioned in medical disaster plans. We describe how a group of mostly family physicians and administrators of the JPS Health Network (JPS) took primary responsibility for 3,700 evacuees of Hurricane Katrina who came to Tarrant County, Texas. JPS provided medical care to 1,664 (45%) evacuees during a 2-week period. The most common needs were medications for chronic illnesses and treatment of skin infections (primarily on the feet). The JPS Emergency Department saw only 148 evacuees, most of whom arrived by their own transportation and were not seriously ill. JPS created a triage center located several miles from the hospital that referred almost all evacuees with health care needs to a primary care clinic. It was an effective approach for caring for the medical needs of disaster victims and prevented an emergency department and hospital from being overwhelmed. The JPS experience may guide future planning efforts for natural or manmade disasters, especially pandemic threats.
基层医疗医生在医疗灾难预案中很少被提及。我们描述了一群主要由家庭医生和JPS健康网络(JPS)管理人员组成的团队如何对3700名卡特里娜飓风的撤离者承担主要责任,这些撤离者来到了德克萨斯州的塔兰特县。JPS在两周内为1664名(45%)撤离者提供了医疗服务。最常见的需求是慢性病药物和皮肤感染治疗(主要在足部)。JPS急诊科仅接待了148名撤离者,其中大多数是自行前来,病情并不严重。JPS在距离医院数英里处设立了一个分诊中心,几乎将所有有医疗需求的撤离者都转诊到了基层医疗诊所。这是一种满足灾难受害者医疗需求的有效方法,避免了急诊科和医院不堪重负。JPS的经验可能会为未来应对自然或人为灾难,尤其是大流行威胁的规划工作提供指导。