Title: Enhancing emergency preparedness through improved exercises and training
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: This theme is focused on identifying, understanding, and explicating the ways in which health professionals learn in complex simulated training exercises, and the impacts that this learning has on individual and organizational practice and preparedness for future emergency response. Short term aims and objectives: The short-term aims of this theme are to establish the work programme, design in-depth longitudinal projects, gather information and conduct desk-based reviews, and collect and process initial data. Specifically, short term outcomes will include: 1. Systematic reviews of published and unpublished research about the nature and efficacy of various emergency response exercises and the methodological approaches used to establish that efficacy 2. Development of a methodological approach suitable for exploring the four distinct emergency re- sponse exercise types— workshop, desktop, command post and field exercises—based in large part on a combination of ethnographic and quantitative data 3. Development of specific project plans and outcomes, with a focus on ensuring the connectivity of each discrete project in the theme 4. Begin collecting longitudinal data, to take full advantage of this unique opportunity within the pro- gramme 5. Development of a methodological, analytical, and operational plan for collecting data on a live emergency response should a suitable emergency occur (activation of nationally managed re- sponse) Medium term aims and objectives: The medium-term aims of this theme are to develop the project plans, implementing them fully, to collect, collate and screen data, and to look at a large-scale emergency response in vivo should an emergency situation develop. It is vital that the team reserves capacity and is prepared to respond reflexively to the nature of the research environment. The specific objectives are to: 1. Begin the dissemination of learning from the early stages of the project, with a focus on how find- ings can contribute to the development of emergency preparedness training and exercises 2. Feed outputs from the Emergo Train System (ETS) project into improved processes by extension to other exercise environments 3. Collect data based on the appropriate project designs, being flexible and responsive to methodo- logical challenges as they arise 4. Begin the on-going process of data analysis as data begin to be produced and collected, with an aim of adapting and further developing as trends begin to emerge in the data 5. Remain prepared to investigate the process of a large-scale emergency response Long term aims and objectives: The long-term aim will be to continue to draw together data collected from the discrete projects into the coherent theme that answers the broad questions outlined here. At this stage, the project teams will finalise their data collection within each project and analyse data within and across projects, providing a unique opportunity to look at the bigger picture of how healthcare professionals learn from emergency response training. A core aim at this stage is to design and develop innovative, evidence-based approaches to emergency response training based on the range of data collected. The specific objectives include: 1. Continuing and finalising the collection of data, especially longitudinal data on emergency response training and how these exercises impact on individuals and organisations over the longer term 2. Completing data analysis both within and across projects 3. Remaining prepared to investigate the process of a large-scale emergency response 4. Disseminating the knowledge generated in the various projects, with a focus on what can be done to improve emergency preparedness training and using the learning from the projects to suggest innovative approaches to emergency response training


Research activity codes: 8.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (HEALTH SERVICES)
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE