The Problem of Needs Assessment in the Delivery of EMS
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Date
1977-02
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Disaster Research Center
Abstract
Description
The assessment of a community’s health needs generally and emergency health needs specifically is understandably carried out according to the normal, everyday situation and not to the disaster situation. Furthermore, such assessments are based on certain population characteristics and utilization patterns of existing community health facilities. While these factors have some, although indirect, bearing on the delivery of emergency medical services during a disaster, they are totally inadequate as guides for assessing the disaster emergency health needs. Such assessment requires, indeed demands, an examination of the population affected by the disaster agent.
Keywords
EMS, emergency, community health, population characteristics, utilization patterns