Understand the interplay between physical risk and social barriers in accessing acute care (dialysis centers and opioid treatment programs) during a flood

This Cooperative Agreement awarded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards (CFDA 11.609) program provides $399,988 in funding to the University of Delaware. The purpose of the award is to understand the interplay between physical risk and social barriers in accessing acute care (dialysis centers and opioid treatment programs) during a flood, with a focus on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic States. The key activities include: (1) examining the disproportionate impacts of flood disruption on critical infrastructure, (2) identifying barriers to accessing acute care facilities during a flood, and (3) establishing an acute care loss prevention framework for emergency preparedness and infrastructure resilience planning. The project aims to advance understanding and improve management of flood resilience in acute care service delivery, providing guidance for interventions at the individual, network, community, and structural levels. The resulting network models will be packaged into a GIS toolkit for risk assessment and resilience planning by practitioners.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to understand the interplay between physical risk and social barriers in accessing acute care (dialysis centers and opioid treatment programs) during a flood.

Activities

This study will perform three key activities: (1) examine the disproportionate impacts of flood disruption on critical facility and transportation infrastructure; (2) identify barriers in access to acute care facilities during a flood disaster; and (3) establish an acute care loss prevention framework for emergency preparedness and infrastructure resilience plan development. Our research will focus on the U.S. Mid-atlantic states, which include 40% of the states and territories with the highest percentage of special flood hazard areas in the U.S.

Expected outcomes

This interdisciplinary project will advance understanding and improve management of flood resilience in acute care service delivery. The framework will provide guidance for interventions at four levels (individual, network, community, and structural) for short-term acute care recovery and long-term infrastructure and community resilience planning. Improved understanding of acute care access will improve service providers and communities disaster preparedness and help ensure continuity of care, reducing morbidity and mortality associated with missing treatment in future disasters. We will package the network models into a GIS toolkit, so practitioners can use IT for risk assessment and resilience planning.

Intended beneficiaries

Local residents, particularly vulnerable populations, and care providers and practitioners of acute care services and planning.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.