Minimizing Access Disparities in Bio-Emergency Response Planning

University Of North Texas, Denton TX

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

7. Project Summary/Abstract This application is a request for the renewal of NIH R01 LM011647-01 titled ?Minimizing Access Disparities in Bio-Emergency Response Planning? which was funded for three years (8-1-2013 to 7-31-2016). The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2008 (PAHPA) and its reauthorization (PAHPRA, 2013) have recognized the existence of vulnerabilities that may lead to access disparities during emergency response and have specifically mandated that the needs of such at-risk individuals be addressed. In response to PAHPRA, research conducted during the initial funding period focused on the development of computational methods to map and quantify vulnerabilities stemming from the lack of access to transportation resources or from the inability to read, speak, or understand English have been developed. New data sources available at the federal, regional, or local level must be explored to identify indicators of a more comprehensive set of vulnerabilities. Planning sessions with response planners from federal, state, and local agencies have revealed the need for alternate dispensing modalities to supplement traditional POD-based response to minimize access disparities stemming from a lack of adequate transportation infrastructure. To facilitate adoption by planners from regions with limited resources and IT infrastructure, alternative mechanisms to access computational methods developed during this research must be explored to accelerate the translation of research results to practice. The specific aims of the study are: Aim 1: Develop computational methods to analyze alternate response modalities employed by preparedness planners to reach populations deemed at-risk of being affected by access disparities; Aim 2: Design and implement computational methods to reconcile inconsistencies in data collected from disparate sources towards broadening the set of vulnerability indicators to be considered in response plan design; and Aim 3: Implement and evaluate different access mechanisms to accelerate the translation of research results into practice. The study will yield computational methods to identify and quantify vulnerable populations that are at-risk of not being reached by POD-based response plans, which will facilitate targeted allocation of resources, thereby reducing access disparities. The implementation of resulting methods into the RE-PLAN framework and the development of alternate modalities will facilitate broad access to the proposed methods across geographic regions in the US with distinct characteristics. The proposed computational tools shall standardize the planning process to maximize the reach of bio-emergency response plans with respect to the spatial distribution of diverse populations with specific vulnerabilities.