ABSTRACT
This article describes a randomized control field experiment that was used to evaluate the impact of an organized volunteer-based emergency first-responder system in 36 rural, medically underserved communities in central Georgia. The system created an information network within communities, which allowed rapid contact with trained resident volunteers when emergencies occurred. The evaluation examined selected environmental variables related to creating an information network and their effect on the general public's willingness to use a first responder for medical emergencies. Measurements of community awareness and attitudes were made using a household telephone survey conducted immediately before project initiation, 3 months and 13 months after implementation. Willingness to use the system was greatest for individual respondents living in communities with less than 800 population and who were participants in the social network of the community. Implications for administrating this type of project through statewide EMS systems are discussed.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Medically Underserved Area , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Adult , Data Collection , Emergencies , Female , Georgia , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Rural Population , Socioeconomic Factors , VolunteersABSTRACT
This paper examines the educational challenges created by the existence of complex health care delivery systems and the need to train analysts and problem solvers to work effectively within these systems. An undergraduate, interdisciplinary curriculum, based in the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is described which addresses these challenges. One particular course is used to illustrate how cognitive and experiential learning approaches are combined to provide the student with a bridge between acquiring technical skills and applying them sensitively in a real world context.
