Weathering the storms of climate change: Preparing persons with disabilities and the physiatrists who provide their care for extreme hurricanes.
Mollie Andreae, James M Shultz, J Marshall Shepherd and 2 others
PMID 38629694WHAT IT FOUND
Physiatrists should assess patients' disaster needs at their lowest functional level, not their best.
Create individualized plans covering backup caregivers, 7-day supply stockpiles, and priority utility registration for those dependent on electricity or life-support devices.
Key findings
01Persons with disabilities are less likely to have emergency supplies, evacuation routes, or disaster plans than the general population.
02Assessment must consider needs at the patient's lowest level of function, as stress, fatigue, and heat can impair optimal performance during a disaster.
03Rehabilitation professionals rarely educate patients on emergency preparedness; less than a quarter of those caring for spinal cord injury patients provide this instruction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This is a narrative review, so it does not provide new primary data or test the effectiveness of the recommended interventions. The literature search excluded studies conducted outside the United States, which may limit the applicability of findings to other global contexts. The recommendations are based on expert consensus and synthesis of existing literature rather than randomized controlled trials. The review focuses heavily on hurricanes, so the specific advice may not fully translate to other types of natural disasters like earthquakes or wildfires.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that patients with disabilities are aware of their specific risks or have prepared accordingly. Survey data cited in the review shows that fewer than half of persons with disabilities have assembled emergency supplies or made a disaster plan, despite higher awareness of risk.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →