Perspectives in disaster management
It was supposed to snow and [Co-reseacher] and I were not sure if we should undertake the two hour drive to [Teaching Hospital] at 5:00 in the morning. But the weather was clear at 4:00am and we decided to go. The winding and hilly Pennsylvania roads disappeared outside the margins of the light shone by the headlights and we talked about research and life in the US.
We had arranged to conduct two focus groups - one with air-paramedics and another with the Communication Center staff of [Teaching hospital]. We made it through morning traffic and reached by 6:50am, grabbed hot drinks and set up the recorders and breakfast for the participants. Food is a good motivator for research subjects who are volunteering their time and are not otherwise compensated for their participation.
The first team consisted of both ground and air paramedic. We ran them through a scenario (which we have been using for various focus groups with minor changes) of a train derailment involving HAZMATs. I am always fascinated in understanding how people work in their everyday jobs and what issues they face. I was looking forward to talking to the folks from the Communication Center since data collected so far suggested that they are the key link in the chain of information flow in an MCI (mass casualty incident). After that, we managed to schedule another focus group on the fly involving ground ambulance staff. I still haven't looked at the data but we got very interesting and contrasting perspectives.
After the focus groups we wandered into the emergency department of [Teaching Hospital]. I love going into the ED. That is not to say that I enjoy seeing people in pain and suffering. Infact I feel rather guilty about being there though I am authorized to walk around for data collection. I feel like I am encroaching upon very private moments of people in pain and that I might get in the way of the [Important People] a.k.a care providers. At the same time, I feel excited to be there because I really want to help these people lying in hallways and do something to make it a better experience for them. I feel fortunate for my own health and for a glimpse into the good work that healthcare providers do given their constraints.
In the ED, [Co-researcher] and I scheduled some more visits for next week and I am looking forward to them. Then we grabbed greasy, spicy Chinese food for lunch and started the drive back to State College. The weather was heavenly and the view picturesque. The strong wind blew the last of the fall leaves off the scrawny-looking. rapidly-balding trees into the windshield of the car. [Co-reseracher] and I usually swap the stories of our lives on these drives and its fascinating how different our lives have been. Part of the grad school experience has been the thrill of talking to people from vastly different backgrounds and getting a glimpse of their lives. Its like trying different wines at a wine tasting.
On getting home I sunk into a deep sleep and awoke to scour the Web for reviews of good digital audio recording equipment. Now that topic deserves a seperate post. The tiredness of the day's excitement is seeping into my bones now. The bed becons. Tommorow will be another adventure.
We had arranged to conduct two focus groups - one with air-paramedics and another with the Communication Center staff of [Teaching hospital]. We made it through morning traffic and reached by 6:50am, grabbed hot drinks and set up the recorders and breakfast for the participants. Food is a good motivator for research subjects who are volunteering their time and are not otherwise compensated for their participation.
The first team consisted of both ground and air paramedic. We ran them through a scenario (which we have been using for various focus groups with minor changes) of a train derailment involving HAZMATs. I am always fascinated in understanding how people work in their everyday jobs and what issues they face. I was looking forward to talking to the folks from the Communication Center since data collected so far suggested that they are the key link in the chain of information flow in an MCI (mass casualty incident). After that, we managed to schedule another focus group on the fly involving ground ambulance staff. I still haven't looked at the data but we got very interesting and contrasting perspectives.
After the focus groups we wandered into the emergency department of [Teaching Hospital]. I love going into the ED. That is not to say that I enjoy seeing people in pain and suffering. Infact I feel rather guilty about being there though I am authorized to walk around for data collection. I feel like I am encroaching upon very private moments of people in pain and that I might get in the way of the [Important People] a.k.a care providers. At the same time, I feel excited to be there because I really want to help these people lying in hallways and do something to make it a better experience for them. I feel fortunate for my own health and for a glimpse into the good work that healthcare providers do given their constraints.
In the ED, [Co-researcher] and I scheduled some more visits for next week and I am looking forward to them. Then we grabbed greasy, spicy Chinese food for lunch and started the drive back to State College. The weather was heavenly and the view picturesque. The strong wind blew the last of the fall leaves off the scrawny-looking. rapidly-balding trees into the windshield of the car. [Co-reseracher] and I usually swap the stories of our lives on these drives and its fascinating how different our lives have been. Part of the grad school experience has been the thrill of talking to people from vastly different backgrounds and getting a glimpse of their lives. Its like trying different wines at a wine tasting.
On getting home I sunk into a deep sleep and awoke to scour the Web for reviews of good digital audio recording equipment. Now that topic deserves a seperate post. The tiredness of the day's excitement is seeping into my bones now. The bed becons. Tommorow will be another adventure.
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