Section 6: Disaster Health Info Sources for the Recovery Phase
Think about it: As the community recovers from our example train disaster, what types of disaster health information might be helpful?
In this section, we will revisit some Web sites introduced earlier in the course, with an emphasis on specific information for the recovery phase.
Disaster Recovery: Information Needs by Audience
Disaster Workforce Audience
The kinds of disaster health information that are needed by the disaster workforce during the recovery phase include reports and surveillance data to determine the allocation and distribution of resources. There is also an acute need for short and long term physical and mental health resources during the recovery phase.
General Public
Members of the public who require recovery information are likely to have been personally impacted by disaster. They may be displaced or suffering from stress disorders as a result of the trauma.
Disaster Workforce
Health information is needed to support:
- Resource allocation
- Archiving
- Physical and mental health services for communities impacted by disasters
- Volunteer operations
General Public
Health information is needed to support:
- Coping and resilience
NLM Emergency Access Initiative
The NLM Emergency Access Initiative (EAI) is a source for free scholarly journal content for populations in areas affected by disasters. The initiative is a partnership between NLM and publishers to enable free access to journal literature.
If your community is impacted by a large disaster, you may be eligible for emergency access to these key biomedical journals and reference books during the recovery period. Check the Web site to see if free access has been enabled and the length of the free access period.
NLM EAI at a Glance
- Web site: http://eai.nlm.nih.gov
- Description: Temporary free access to full text articles from major biomedicine titles to those affected by a specific disaster.
- Primary Audience: Professional disaster workforce
- Includes:
- Full-text articles from biomedical journals and reference books for areas affected by disasters
The Emergency Access Initiative (EAI) provides free access to full-text articles from biomedical journals and reference books for areas affected by disasters
MedlinePlus Topic Pages
The main NLM source for disaster health information for the general public also contains content for post-disaster recovery. There are specific topic pages in MedlinePlus on "Disaster Preparation and Recovery" and "Coping with Disasters."
MedlinePlus at a Glance
- Web site: https://medlineplus.gov
- Description: Main source of disaster health information for the general public
- Primary Audience: The general public
- Includes:
- Preparedness and response
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Coping with disasters
In addition to preparedness information, MedlinePlus also contains health information for the general public on disaster recovery topics
Other Sources
ReliefWeb
ReliefWeb is an information tool from the United Nations that contains humanitarian information on disasters around the world. It is designed for relief workers assisting in recovery efforts and is optimized for use on mobile devices. ReliefWeb also contains status reports from disaster-impacted areas around the world. The information tool was designed to assist humanitarian workers in decision making and planning effective recovery interventions.
Key Information Resources for Recovery:
- NLM Emergency Access Initiative (EAI)
- MedlinePlus Topic Pages