Vulnerable in disasters: people with special health care needs.

Nick GA, Savoia E, Elqura L, et al. Emergency preparedness for vulnerable populations: people with special health-care needs. Public Health Rep. 2009;124(2):338-343. doi:10.1177/003335490912400225

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(Serving the most vulnerable requires awareness, planning, coordination, and community involvement)

Context: Vulnerable populations defined: "Any individual, group, or community whose circumstances create barriers to obtaining or understanding information, or the ability to react as the general population. … Circumstances that may create barriers include, but are not limited to age; physical, mental, emotional, or cognitive status; culture; ethnicity; religion; language; citizenship; geography; or socioeconomic status" (from the Iowa Public Health Preparedness Program).

Method: A symposium of community-based organizations was assembled to identify and discuss emergency planning for people with special health care needs.

Conclusions: Issues, barriers, and areas of policy development were identified and formed, well-summarized in Figure 2 from the publication:

Figure 2. Issues, barriers, and policy development areas in emergency planning for populations with special health-care needs

Some high-level concepts for emergency planners and for the rest of us, a reminder of how vast emergency management is, if we are to include the people most in need.