Crisis Standards of Care: A Systems Framework for Catastrophic Disaster Response

We clearly recognize the tremendous havoc that fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes can have on a population, not to mention manmade disasters. A crisis can be found in a flash just around the corner. And maybe your local hospital is at the bull's eye of that disaster and out of commission. This is a summary of the centerpiece report of a three part series devoted to the management of care during crisis situations that demand special standards of care. The first report sets the stage and defines the need for such standards. The third in the series provides a tool kit for stakeholders and suggests indicators and triggers to institute the crisis standards at the community level. And the main report, summarized below, provides a framework for how to integrate roles, responsibilities, and resources at the federal, state, and local levels. Planning is key to providing the best possible care given the circumstances, and must be done with full cooperation and buy-in from all players at all levels. Do you know when to implement crisis standards in your community?