Paramedic disaster health management competencies: a scoping review

Study/Objective: This scoping review aims to identify, categorise and explore the existing range of paramedic disaster health management competencies that have been developed internationally. The objective of the study is to assist EMS agencies to develop core competencies specific to their own environments in order to standardise teaching in the area of paramedic disaster health management response. Background: Paramedics play an essential role in all phases of disaster health management. Previous research has identified potential gaps in content and challenges to the sustainability of knowledge acquired through occasional disaster response training by paramedics. For paramedics to respond competently, they must be equipped with the necessary skills to provide comprehensive care to the populations affected by disasters. Despite this the literature shows that education and training for disaster response is variable and that an evidence based study specifically designed to outline sets of core competencies for Australian paramedics has never been undertaken. Methods: A systematic scoping review will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The review will use information from four databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Keywords and inclusion and exclusion criteria will be identified as strategies to use in this review. Results: Results will be extracted, mapped, and categorised from appropriate studies. The identified core competencies will be sorted into common domains such as communication, operations, planning, logistics, incident command systems and ethics. A descriptive analysis of the results will then be undertaken. Conclusion: Further research is needed to develop core competencies specific to Australian paramedics in order to standardise teaching in the area of disaster health management response. This study will assist agencies from all jurisdictions in evaluating or creating disaster curricula that adequately prepares and maintains paramedics for an effective all hazards disaster response