LAUSR

Study/Objective: To disseminate the development and use to date, of the WHO ‘Minimum Technical Standards and Recommendations for Rehabilitation for Emergency Medical Teams’ guidance document (e-publication expected December 2016). Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative, supports populations severely impacted by large-scale catastrophic disasters by ensuring a rapid, professional, coordinated medical response by national and international teams. Physical rehabilitation has become increasingly recognized as an essential health component of the medical response in disasters, due to the humanitarian imperative to limit long-term disability, and optimize functional outcomes in persons sustaining severe traumatic injuries (and infectious disease outbreak sequelae). The WHO ‘Minimum Technical Standards and Recommendations for Rehabilitation for Emergency Medical Teams’ was developed to provide guidance for integrating rehabilitation capacity into EMTs, and hence the global humanitarian medical response. Methods: Guidance document development was a highly consultative process hosted by WHO involving global experts from the rehabilitation field, including operational rehabilitation from International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), international professional rehabilitation societies, and individuals. Results: The WHO ‘Minimum Technical Standards and Recommendations for Rehabilitation for Emergency Medical Teams’ guidance document draft, is available on the WHO EMT Initiative extranet, with the official e-publication anticipated in December 2016. The minimal technical standards for rehabilitation have been incorporated into the verification process undergone by EMTs, to qualify for global classification. It is expected that use of the minimum standards and recommendations will result in expanded, quicker access of patients to rehabilitation services (and equipment) in disasters, as well as improved referrals between EMTs and local health facilities for ongoing rehabilitation service provision translating to increased near-term functional outcomes and reduced long-term disability for affected persons. Conclusion: In conclusion, the WHO ‘Minimum Technical Standards and Recommendations for Rehabilitation for Emergency Medical Teams’ guidance document establishes minimum standards for rehabilitation to increase the rehabilitation capacity of EMTs in disasters (and outbreaks).