Developing the ISPRM registry of rehabilitation disaster relief experts

Jan D. Reinhardt, PhD; James E. Gosney, MD; Andrew J. Haig, MD; & Jian’an Li, MD

Background

• Natural disasters => new disabilities and existing disabilities

• Physical Rehabilitation required• However, rehabilitation perspective often

underdeveloped in disaster settings• Scarcity of existing rehab resources and

professionals make external/international assistance necessary

Background (continued)• However: • How identify deployable experts – with expertise in disaster rehabilitation – best suited to the setting in question?

• => Database of rehabilitation professionals with expertise in disaster relief including Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM)

• WHO DAR-ISPRM collaboration plan 2011-2013

Background (continued)• “ISPRM will, moreover, compile a database of

international experts for PRM in disaster relief, which may provide a PRM professional volunteer team when it is needed in any region of the world.

• In that ISPRM will closely collaborate with relevant NGOs, other academic organizations and WHO offices”. (WHO-DAR/ISPRM 2011)

Objective• Establish a database of PRM/rehabilitation experts in

natural disaster that can be used to identify deployable individuals/teams in the case of international disaster

International Disaster

UN/WHO Agency/NGO responsible for disability & rehab

ISPRM disaster rehab experts’ database

Deployment of rehab experts/teams

What is a database?• More than a survey …• “A database is an organized collection of data. The

data is typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality (for example, the availability of rooms in hotels), in a way that supports processes requiring this information (for example, finding a hotel with vacancies).”

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database

What is a database? - continuedFunctions:• Input (forms like surveys etc.)• Storing (protected server, backups, etc.)• Retrieving (search masks, structured requests)• Managing information (update, modify,

aggregate, etc.)

What is a database? - continuedDatabase Management System (DBMS), e.g. SQL:

• Data definition• Update• Retrieval• Administration

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBData definition:• Variables

– Needs of end-user …– Relevant info for monitoring

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DB• Variables– Demographics

• Name (surname, first)• Gender• Date of birth• Country(ies) of citizenship• Country of residence• Religion• Contact information (phone, e-mail, address)• Hospital and/or university affiliation(s) • Current position(s)• Professional rehabilitation organization affiliation

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DB• Variables– Professional qualifications

• Emergency training qualification • Disaster training qualifications• Medical/specialty qualifications

– MD (If yes, years of experience)– PRM residency qualification (if yes, years of experience)– Registration– Licensing

• Upload CVs, diploma etc.

«FMTs will adhere to professional guidelines: all their staff must be registered to practice in home country and have licence for the work they are assigned to by the agency» (WHO-FMT Working Group 2013)

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DB• Variables– Disaster relief qualifications

• Disaster experience (up to 10 disasters)• Disaster 1-10 (multiple entries possible)

– Name of country– Type of disaster– Date– Sponsoring organization– Medical role– Traumatic disabling conditions treated:

» fracture» spinal cord injury (SCI)» amputation, etc.

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DB• Variables– Deployability

• Clearance by employer• Length of time willing to serve • Native language(s)• English-skills• Other language(s)• Health restrictions• Dietary restrictions (describe)• Other deployment considerations (describe)• Motivation (Describe reason(s) for registering including your feelings about working with

people from different backgrounds)

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBData definition:• Relations

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBUpdate:• Inserting data: Initial survey of ISPRM membership• Modifying and deleting data: Repeated Surveys, online self-

entry of users …• Challenges: Reaching the expert population,

correctness/accuracy of information (verification through institutions?)

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBRetrieval of info:• Search mask• Suited to the needs of the end-user• Easy to use• Practical usefulness of eventual output, i.e. list of

deployable experts

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBAdministration:• Registering and monitoring users, enforcing data security,

monitoring performance, maintaining data integrity, dealing with concurrency control, and recovering information if the system fails.

• Needs ongoing professional programming and monitoring• Needs secure server (https) involving firewalls etc.• Needs ethical statement on data protection• Needs mechanisms for backup

Database & Network

Web-Server SwiSCI-DatabaseMySQL

Internet

php

Database Administrator

Disaster Relief Experts

phpMyAdmin

Login (password-protected)

End-user

https://www.swisci.chLogin (password-protected)

https://www.swisci.chLogin (password-protected)

Firewall-Protected

https (tap-proof)encrypted

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBAdministration:• Potential links to other existing databases, e.g. CRED natural

disaster database, FMT database, ISPRM membership database …

Related ProjectsDART certificationUN disab experts, etc.:ISCoS, Other rehab NGOs

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBBudget:- Infrastructure:

- Webserver- Database-server - Firewall, backup system etc.

- Database administrator/manager- Programming (sql, html, php), definition of database (2 months)- Development of forms for entry and retrieval (2 months)- Monitoring (1 day per months)- Update (1 day per week)

ISPRM – Rehab Disaster Experts DBOutlook/next steps:• Think big, start with small steps• Obtain feedback from responder organizations

on variables• Initial ISPRM member survey• Identify institution to host database• Write up grant proposal

Thank You!