Title: A decision support system for technological planning and management of field hospitals

Authors: Roberto Miniati; Fabrizio Dori; Ernesto Iadanza; Guido Biffi Gentili

Addresses: Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy ' Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy ' Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy ' Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy

Abstract: A well-planned medical response should consider the use of field hospitals 'FHs' specialised for the disasters and planned to guarantee high technical and medical standards. The purpose of this work is to support in locating technical requirements for FHs planning through an analysis of the most important and useful variables for the installation. A review of disaster medicine literature and technical norms has been carried out in order to offer support in individualising functional and technical requirements for FH planning through an analysis of the most important and useful variables for the installation. Three FH types were designed to be used in emergency and disaster medicine according to the kind of event, to the disaster area and to the local healthcare system capacity. Organisational, technical and technological requirements for each FH area were provided in order to improve hygiene and quality criteria for a safe and efficient system.

Keywords: field hospitals; disaster response; emergency response; emergency management; decision support systems; DSS; emergency structures; medical response; healthcare technology; disaster medicine; functional requirements; technical requirements; field hosptial planning; emergency medicine; local capacity; healthcare capacity; hygiene; quality criteria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2012.052549

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.13 No.5/6, pp.267 - 282

Received: 07 Feb 2012
Accepted: 20 Sep 2012
Published online: 15 Nov 2014 *

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