Reviewing the Implementation of the Emergency Medical Team Minimum Data Set

Abstract

Introduction:The Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Strategic Advisory Group of the WHO has endorsed the EMT Minimum Data Set (MDS) Daily Reporting Form in 2017 and the revised EMT Minimum Standards of the WHO suggests EMTs report it regularly in case national reporting forms are not available.Method:This study searched and listed previous use cases of the MDS by reviewing published papers including gray literature and interviews with national authorities, organizations, and experts.Results:In 2019, the MDS had been activated for the first time in Mozambique during international scale response at the tropical cyclone Idai; also in Japan it was used at the typhoon Faxai/Hagibis response; further in the Independent State of Samoa during the measles outbreak. In 2020, the MDS was used during a COVID-19 mega-cluster incident on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship in Japan, the tropical cyclone Harold in Vanuatu and the Kumamoto Heavy Rain in Japan. In 2021, the one was used during the Izuyama landslide response in Japan; and the typhoon Rai response in the Philippines. In 2022, it was used during the cyclone Batsirai response in Madagascar; and in Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine to respond to the armed conflict situation in Ukraine.Many countries are preparing to use the form; in 2022 the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has officially endorsed the form as a regional standard form for EMT daily reporting. Military partners also were testing the form, in 2019 forces from eight nations at the 39th Cobra Gold 20 in Thailand used the form for training purposes.Conclusion:The MDS was used in at least 14 emergencies in nine countries. Mozambique and Japan have published academic literature using the MDS. The use of MDS would strengthen Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (H-EDRM) in a data-based manner.