Table 1 Modules 1–14

Module 1, Lecture and PBLD

Introduction to disaster medicine, terminology

To learn definitions of disaster medicine and to develop an understanding for general disaster management

Glossary and common disaster medicine definitions, differences between disaster and emergency medicine, different phases of disaster management

Disaster assistance

Principles of disaster assistance

Disaster assistance organization, assistance agencies and structure

Typology

To consider the heterogeneity of disasters

Natural and technological disasters, terrorism, man-made disasters, civilian disorders, environmental and other threats

Laws and regulations

To understand the legal environment and regulations for civil protection and disaster preparedness

Regulative and administrative issues for civil disaster protection, warfare disaster protection laws, rescue service and hospital laws, governmental resources, and authorities

Module 2, Lecture and PBLD

Disaster medical management

To realize the architecture and organizational management necessary for coping with mass casualty incidents and large-scale acutely ill patients in a coordinated way

Mass casualty disposition, treatment area, transport issues

Functional operations

Tasks of rapid-intervention-units (sanitary/psychosocial care)

Incident command systems

Disaster contingency plans command and control structures, functional operations center

Coordination structures

Coordination, integration, and cooperation of multi-agency rescue and assistance response

Functional roles

Functional response roles, e.g., lead emergency physician, organizational leader, and technical command post

Information management

Communication, coordination

Module 3, Lecture and PBLD

Specific disaster medicine

To develop skills in principles of tactically managing mass casualties and large numbers of patients suffering, e.g., from combined conventional trauma and thermal injuries

Patient assessment and triage: triage levels, tags, registration; primary emergency care, multi-tasking and operational management phases (e.g., patient collection, treatment area, transport)

Tactic disaster medical management

Logistical requirements for care of burn-injuries, mine blast, and missile-hit victims (including high-speed bullet injuries), mass trauma management

Module 4, PBLD and Interactive Review

Hospital preparedness and disaster management planning

To follow orders and principles of hospital alarm and evacuation plans

Hospital disaster laws

Hospital alarm plans

Hospital preparedness plans for

- Management of external disasters with mass casualties suffering from multiple injuries, intoxication, infections, and/or radioactive contamination

- Management of in-house disasters with fire incidents and hospital evacuation

Module 5, PBLD and Interactive Review

Presentation of past disasters and review of assistance experiences

To evaluate and understand feasibility issues of providing medical support and health care in the field and under disaster conditions based on experience from worldwide disaster assistance operations

Presentation of past disasters and disaster assistance experience gained in the field, e.g., from lead emergency physicians, operations in earthquake assistance, explosions, highly contagious infectious diseases, repatriation flights, and with the German Federal Armed Forces Medical Corps in world crisis regions

Module 6, Experiential Training

Preclinical and clinical triage exercise

To perform triage decisions in reality simulation

Triage training exercise: real or virtual scenario simulation rescue exercise, e.g., explosion with mass casualties and blast, mechanical, and thermal injuries of all triage levels

Module 7, Experiential Training

Evacuation exercise

To apply operational principles and steps of action for evacuation procedures

Command post exercise, real or virtual: e.g., evacuation organization and evacuation of a hospital, school, part of town, etc.

Module 8, Lecture and PBLD

Life-saving disaster emergency medical care

To learn concepts of life-saving emergency disaster medical care

Under disaster conditions: provision of life-saving emergency medical care to adults and children, e.g., shock therapy, pain treatment, and sedation

Module 9, Lecture and PBLD

Specific disaster emergency medical care for various situations including bioterrorism incidents

To get to know principles of specific disaster medical care

Disaster emergency medical first aid, specific measures

Surgical and medical treatments of burn and thermal injuries and illnesses from explosive, warfare and biological agents

Epidemiology and approaches to terrorist attacks, weapons, and highly contagious infectious diseases, sentinel cases

Module 10, Lecture and PBLD

Radiological and nuclear threats, accidents with radioactive material, radiation illness and syndrome, decontamination

To learn principles and basic medical care for management of incidents with radiologic/nuclear agents and contaminated victims

Specific dangers of radiological/nuclear agents, associated illnesses and radiation syndrome

Self protection, protection and detection equipment, special intervention units

First aid medical treatment, isolation and radioactive decontamination, decontamination operations in case of mass trauma combined with contamination injuries

Experiential training

Decontamination after radiation exposure

To be exposed to practical aspects and procedures of decontamination

Decontamination exercise or decontamination demonstration, e.g., in nuclear power plant or with the fire brigades

Module 11, Lecture and PBLD

Chemical and toxicological threats from hazardous materials and goods, transport risks, acute poisoning and toxic syndromes

To get to know principles of medical countermeasures for management of incidents with dangerous chemical substances, hazardous materials and goods

Identification and risk assessment of hazardous materials, chemicals and goods, and associated toxic syndromes

Management of acute intoxications and poisonings, threats from specific poisons

Self protection, precautions

Poisoning epidemiology, risk assessment for mass intoxications

First aid medical treatment, e.g., enhanced elimination of toxins, use of antidotes, adjunctive services, e.g., poison emergency centers and toxicology laboratories

Experiential training

Decontamination after chemical poisoning

To experience exposure to decontamination procedures

Triage in case of mass casualties with toxic syndromes

Decontamination measures and exercise

Module 12, Lecture, PBLD, and Interactive Review

Ethics and professionalism

To develop familiarity with ethical codes and the duty of care relevant to disaster conditions

Geneva Convention and amended protocols, ethical codes of conduct, humanitarian imperatives, social, moral, and ethical challenges of disasters

Quality assurance

To understand quality improvement efforts and risk management programs for disaster medical response

Quality control performance indicators, incident monitoring, tools for risk and critical event assessment, structured improvement approaches

Appropriate documentation

Module 13, PBLD and Interactive Review

To comprehend concepts of psychic stress response

Case presentations for identification of critical incident stress reactions and review of therapeutic interventions

Psychosocial care

To learn techniques to deal with psychic reactions caused by exposure to disaster scenarios

Treatment approaches to acute and delayed critical incident stress reactions, acute and chronic stress syndromes, post-traumatic stress disorders

To recognize need for help and to initiate psychosocial support

Structure and tasks of psychosocial emergency intervention units

Operational strategies of psychosocial treatment

Module 14, Course Completion

Closing examination

To demonstrate gain of knowledge and skills

Student final examination, oral and/or written test

Evaluation of educational success

To assess educational value of course

Comparison of pre-program versus post-program student test results

Learner and educator assessment of course

To maintain continuous curriculum development and improvement in course quality

Student and faculty summative and formative course evaluation