Health data management before, during and after emergencies and disasters - Data analysis
Health data collected during emergencies using standardised data collection tools, such as WHO Emergency Medical Team Menimum Data Set (EMT MDS) and Japan Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (J-SPEED), needs to be analysed and be disseminated. The finidings could be foundation for planning and implementing efficient and coordinated medical and public health responses, and to ensure the best possible care in emergency situations, to learn for the future emergencies [1].
This page explains health data analysis and implcations of the findings in the context of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) by introducing series of case studies from a research project between 2019-2021 on ‘Health data collection during emergency and disaster’ funded by the WHO Kobe Centre in response to a strong need to provide evidence in feasibility of standardised data collection tools [2].
Case Studies
The WHO Emergency Medical Team Minimum Data Set (EMT MDS) and its daily reporting document were developed in 2017 by WHO as an international standardised medical data collection tool to gather comprehensive and accurate data in the context of disasters and public health emergencies [3].
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Case Study 1: Tropical Cyclone Idai, Mozambique, 2019 [4] The EMT MDS was formally activated for the first time in 2019 during the response to Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and collected health data and relevant information. Data collected using the EMT MDS in 110 days during the disaster response in 18,468 medical consultations were analysed. A descriptive analysis was conducted based on two age groups: those under-five years and those five-years and over. Furthermore, Pearson chi square test was used to examine the between-age-group differences of health consultations and specific health problems. Major findings include: 1) Women accounted for a higher percentage of consultations than men, 2) Minor injuries, acute watery diarrhea, malaria, ARIs, and skin diseases were most consulted, and 3) 85% of the consultations were non-disaster-related events. These findings enabled response managers to develop the most effective resource allocation plan. Read more. |
The Japan-Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (J-SPEED) has been inplemented as a national standard data collection tool and has been employed in multiple emergency situations [2]. produced 3 case studies on J-SPEED.
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Case Study 2: Earthquake, Hokkaido, 2018 [5] J-SPEED data captured 739 consultations in the 32-day period of the EMT response in the 2018 Hokkaido Earthquake and 97.6% of consultations occurred in the first 2 weeks. Most consultations were with people over 65 years old and women. Disaster stress related symptoms were the most frequently reported health condition (15.2%), followed by wounds (14.5%) and skin diseases (7.0%). Read more. |
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Case Study 3: Heavy rain, West Japan, 2018 [6] During the 2018 West Japan heavy rain event, J-SPEED collected health data from 3,617 medical consultations in the 65-day period of the EMT response. A descriptive analysis of the data revealed that the majority of patients were between 15 and 64 years old. Skin disease was the most frequently reported health event (17.3%), followed by wounds (14.3%), disaster stress-related symptoms (10.0%), conjunctivitis (6.3%), and acute respiratory infections (5.4%). Read more. |
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Case Study 4: A comparison study: Incidence of Acute Respiratory Infections during Disasters in the Absence and Presence of COVID-19 Pandemic [7] This comparative study investigated if there were any differences in acute respiratory infection (ARI) incidence in the absence and presence of COVID-19 Pandemic, by comparing J-SPEED data obtained in the two heavy rain disasters in Japan; West Japan in 2018 and Kumamoto in 2020. The result showed that the ARI incident rates were 5.4% of the total consultation in the 2018 West Japan heavy rain (before COVID-19) and 1.2% in the 2020 Kumamoto heavy rain (during COVID-19) (P <.001). The researchers concluded that the significant reduction in the ARI incidence rate in the 2020 Kumamoto heavy rain event could be due to the COVID-19 preventive measures implemented at personal and organizational level, such as wearing masks, disinfecting hands, maintaining social distance, improving room ventilation, and screening at evacuation centres. Read more. |
More information
More information related to health data analysis can be found in Chapter 4.2 Measuring the problem: Basic Statistics in the WHO Guidance on Research Methods for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management, revised 2022.
References
[1] Gouvew-Reis F, Dell'Aringa MF, Murray V. Chapter 4.4 Collection and management of good quality data. In: WHO Guidance on Research Methods for Health Emergency and DIsaster Risk Management, revised 2022. World Health Organization; 2022: 271-281. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/363502 (accessed 01 May 2023).
[2] Kubo T, Yanasan A, Herbosa T, Buddh N, Fernando F, Kayano R. Health Data Collection Before, During and After Emergencies and Disasters-The Result of the Kobe Expert Meeting. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Mar 12;16(5):893. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16050893. PMID: 30871037; PMCID: PMC6427760.
[3] WHO. The WHO Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative. https://www.who.int/emergencies/partners/emergency-medical-teams (Accessed 20 May 2023)
[4] Kubo T, Chimed-Ochir O, Cossa M, Ussene I, Toyokuni Y, Yumiya Y, Kayano, R, and Salio, F. (2022). First Activation of the WHO Emergency Medical Team Minimum Data Set in the 2019 Response to Tropical Cyclone Idai in Mozambique. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 37(6), 727-734. doi:10.1017/S1049023X22001406
[5] Yumiya Y, Chimed-Ochir O, Kayano R, Hitomi Y, Akahoshi K, Kondo H, Wakai A, Mimura S, Chishima K, Toyokuni Y, Koido Y, and Kubo T. (2023). Emergency Medical Team Response during the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake 2018: J-SPEED Data Analysis. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 1-6. doi:10.1017/S1049023X23000432
[6] Chimed-Ochir O, Yumiya Y, Taji A, Kishita E, Kondo H, Wakai A, Akahoshi K, Chishima K, Toyokuni Y, Koido Y, Kubo T. Emergency Medical Teams' Responses during the West Japan Heavy Rain 2018: J-SPEED Data Analysis. (2022). Prehosp Disaster Med. 28;37(2):1-7. doi:10.1017/S1049023X22000231. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35225205; PMCID: PMC8958047.
[7] Sugimura M, Chimed-Ochir O, Yumiya Y, Taji A, Kishita E, Tsurugi Y, Kiwaki K, Wakai A, Kondo H, Akahoshi K, Chishima K, Toyokuni Y, Koido Y, Kubo T. Incidence of Acute Respiratory Infections during Disasters in the Absence and Presence of COVID-19 Pandemic. (2022). Prehosp Disaster Med. 11:1-10. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X22000085. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35012691.
