Page 163 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

The role of advanced information and communication technologies
in mass casualty incidents: preliminary results of an international Delphi
study
1,2
Primož Režek , Boštjan Žvanut 2
1 Community Health Centre Škofja Loka, Škofja Loka, Slovenia
2 University of Primorska Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia

Introduction: The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in enhanc-
ing crisis management and decision-making processes during mass casualty incidents
(MCIs) is an unresearched field. The objective of this study was to identify and system-
atically present the opinions of Slovenian and international experts about the challeng-
es and opportunities associated with the application of ICT in MCI crisis management.
Methods: In the presentation, the results of the first phase of an e-Delphi study con-
ducted between 10 February and 1 March 2024 are presented. In this phase partici-
pated 25 international experts in healthcare and informatics, were selected based on
their expertise and contributions to the digitalization of MCI crisis management. An
open-ended questionnaire was used to collect their opinion. Qualitative content anal-
ysis was adopted to systematically analyze the data.
Results: We have identified six key themes: 1. an assessment of the current state of dig-
itization, 2. the integration of digital technologies, 3. the use of technologies for train-
ing, 4. the use of technologies for documentation and communication, 5. challenges
to ICT adoption and 6. future directions. Slovenian experts expressed concern about
the limited use of digitalization in MN crisis management, despite the availability of
software solutions. Foreign experts highlighted the progress in the use of technolo-
gies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and GPS tracking, which allow for improved crisis
management and more accurate training. Experts also pointed out legal constraints,
financial barriers, and resistance to change as potential obstacles to the wider use of
modern technologies. These findings form the basis for the design of the questionnaire uporaba ikt rešitev na področju zdravja ... | ict solutions for health ...
for the phase 2 Delphi study.
Discussion and conclusions: This study fills an important gap in the literature by analyzing
expert consensus on the role of ICT in the management of MCI. It provides actual in-
sight into the wider implementation of ICT in MCI and highlights the need for further
research to address the economic, technical, and logistical aspects of implementing
these technologies. Experts agree that the introduction of ICT has great potential to
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of MCI rescue teams.
Keywords: mass casualty incidents, information and communication technology, health-
care, crisis management, Delphi study

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