Primary Care and Disasters
Primary Care and Disasters
The Primary Care SIG was formed to bring together WADEM members with an interest and expertise in Primary Care during disasters. The SIG is open to all researchers, educators, health practitioners, and management personnel who have an interest in improving the use of and engagement with primary care practitioners during a disaster. Primary care health professionals are identified as general practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, or any health worker who works as the first point of contact for a person within the community health system.
The SIG mission is to promote local and interdisciplinary integration of primary health care into disaster management and to advocate for the primary health needs of the community throughout the different disaster management stages – prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery (PPRR). As the involvement of primary care services in disasters increases and roles and systems for inclusion across PPRR continue to be refined, the Primary Care SIG aims to provide a platform for the international exchange of ideas, resources, research evidence, conversations, and support.
Watch the “Primary Care in Disasters – Fireside Chat” Presentation
Webinar Date: 17 January 2023
Primary Care in Disasters – Fireside Chat
This presentation features a moderated panel with Dr. Penny Burns, Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, and Dr. Elizabeth McCourt discussing the importance of primary care in disaster management, how primary care historically has been involved in disasters and emergency situations, how things have changed over the last decade, and a snapshot of current trends. The presentation was followed by a Q&A with the remote audience.
Primary Care SIG Leadership
Have a look at the Primary Care SIG’s newsletters by clicking on the links below. If you are interested in learning more about the SIG, kindly complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
Submit your Expression of Interest
SIG Newsletters
Kaitlyn Watson, Sherley Khng, and Judith Singleton stop by the podcast series to discuss their article published in PDM, “Still Burning: An Exploration of the Impacts of the 2018/2019 Tasmanian Summer Bushfires on Community Pharmacy Operations in Affected Communities.” Read the full-text article – bit.ly/pharmacy-bushfires.
Mission and Vision
Mission: To promote local and interdisciplinary integration of primary healthcare into disaster management and to advocate for the primary health needs of the community throughout the different disaster management stages – prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Vision: Our vision is for future disaster management to better integrate primary care health professionals and for them to work collaboratively together with disaster health professionals, local hospitals, governments, and disaster management sectors to ensure the best health outcomes for patients in all stages of the disaster management cycle.
Position Statement
The Primary Care SIG is committed to a collaborative disaster management future. We strongly believe in the inclusion and interprofessional nature of disaster health management throughout the four disaster phases – prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
For health professionals, researchers, educators, and managers, the Primary Care SIG offers a central point for the exchange of research, knowledge, learnings, and ideas on how Primary Care can be better integrated into and utilized during a disaster. We identify primary care health professionals as general practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, or any health worker who works as the first point of contact for a person within the community health system.
Objectives and Goals
Objectives: The objectives of the Primary Care SIG are to:
- Promote consideration and inclusion of local primary care health professionals and organizations as integral contributors to disaster management systems;
- Develop disaster health cooperation globally amongst and between Primary Care Response SIG members and the broader WADEM community;
- Coordinate linkage and collaboration between primary care disaster professionals and local hospitals, government, and disaster management sectors to promote a holistic approach to disaster PPRR;
- Network and integrate Primary Care Response SIG into WADEM activities and programs; and
- Assist members with forming connections with other primary care professionals, local hospitals, government, and disaster management sectors.
Goals: The goals of the Primary Care SIG are to:
- Foster the professional growth of members of the Primary Care SIG;
- Facilitate increased access to professional information for all WADEM members;
- Assist with organizing Primary Care Response stream for the WADEM biennial Congress;
- Increase the contribution of disaster primary care health professionals and organizations in disaster PPRR through interaction with other SIGs and disaster professionals; and
- Support research and evidence development of Primary Care in disaster management.
