Gerhard Achatz1, Benedikt Friemert2, Heiko Trentzsch3, Marzellus Hofmann4, Markus Blätzinger5, Simone Hinz-Bauer5, Thomas Paffrath6, Axel Franke7, Dan Bieler7,8. 1. Department for Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics, Reconstructive and Septic Surgery, Sportstraumatology, German Armed Forces Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 40, 89081, Ulm, Germany. GerhardAchatz@Bundeswehr.org. 2. Department for Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics, Reconstructive and Septic Surgery, Sportstraumatology, German Armed Forces Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 40, 89081, Ulm, Germany. 3. Institut für Notfallmedizin und Medizinmanagement (INM), Klinikum der Universität München, LMU München, Schillerstraße 53, 80336, Munich, Germany. 4. Faculty of Health, Centre for Didactics and Educational Research in Health Sciences, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50, 58448, Witten, Germany. 5. AUC-Academy for Trauma Surgery GmbH, Wilhelm-Hale-Straße 46b, 80639, Munich, Germany. 6. Department for Trauma Surgery, Krankenhaus der Augustinnerinnen, Jacobstr. 27-31, 50678, Cologne, Germany. 7. Department for Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Burn Medicine, German Armed Forces Central Hospital Koblenz, Rübenacher Straße 170, 56072, Koblenz, Germany. 8. Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Heinrich Heine University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mass-casualty incidents, especially in connection with a terrorist attack, can quickly overwhelm the capacities of receiving hospitals. After a mass-casualty terrorist incident, patients often arrive at hospitals in an uncoordinated manner on account of the chaotic situation. Many patients leave the incident site and refer themselves to hospitals independently. Hospital decision makers must, therefore, be able to make quick decisions on diagnostic procedures and treatment for every individual patient and, at the same time, take into consideration available resources. They require decision criteria and aids to properly manage such scenarios. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of the preparation of the Terror and Disaster Surgical Care (TDSC®) course, we developed a tabletop simulation game based on a comprehensive and structured review of the literature, the opinions of renowned experts, and the results of specialised conferences. This tabletop simulation game is played four times during each TDSC® course. RESULTS: Our analysis involved 264 of 465 course-participants from 2017 to 2019 and showed that the overall evaluation was very good and that participants grew more positive about the tabletop simulation game during the course. The tabletop simulation game received an average rating of 1.53 (1 = very good, 6 = insufficient). This rating remained consistently high over 19 courses. DISCUSSION: Hospital decision makers must respond to mass-casualty terrorist situations in a defined tactical and strategic approach. Rapid decisions must be made that take into account the special situation and available capacities and resources to maximise the number of survivors even though individual patients may have a poorer functional outcome. As part of the TDSC® course, the tabletop simulation game teaches high-level decision-making algorithms and prepares key hospital personnel for such situations.
BACKGROUND: Mass-casualty incidents, especially in connection with a terrorist attack, can quickly overwhelm the capacities of receiving hospitals. After a mass-casualty terrorist incident, patients often arrive at hospitals in an uncoordinated manner on account of the chaotic situation. Many patients leave the incident site and refer themselves to hospitals independently. Hospital decision makers must, therefore, be able to make quick decisions on diagnostic procedures and treatment for every individual patient and, at the same time, take into consideration available resources. They require decision criteria and aids to properly manage such scenarios. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of the preparation of the Terror and Disaster Surgical Care (TDSC®) course, we developed a tabletop simulation game based on a comprehensive and structured review of the literature, the opinions of renowned experts, and the results of specialised conferences. This tabletop simulation game is played four times during each TDSC® course. RESULTS: Our analysis involved 264 of 465 course-participants from 2017 to 2019 and showed that the overall evaluation was very good and that participants grew more positive about the tabletop simulation game during the course. The tabletop simulation game received an average rating of 1.53 (1 = very good, 6 = insufficient). This rating remained consistently high over 19 courses. DISCUSSION: Hospital decision makers must respond to mass-casualty terrorist situations in a defined tactical and strategic approach. Rapid decisions must be made that take into account the special situation and available capacities and resources to maximise the number of survivors even though individual patients may have a poorer functional outcome. As part of the TDSC® course, the tabletop simulation game teaches high-level decision-making algorithms and prepares key hospital personnel for such situations.
Entities:
Keywords:
Decision making; Disaster; Game; Preparedness; Simulation; Table-top-Exercise; Terror
Authors: Patrick Hoth; Dan Bieler; Benedikt Friemert; Axel Franke; Markus Blätzinger; Gerhard Achatz Journal: Unfallchirurgie (Heidelb) Date: 2021-08-02