We are very pleased to announce that in September of 2013, our Mass Gathering Medicine Interest Group was granted status as an official strategic initiative within the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia. More information on other UBC DEM strategic initiatives can be found on their website or the PDF at the bottom of this page.
Department of Emergency Medicine Strategic Plan
Developing Best Practices for Mass Gathering Medicine
Strategic Leader: Adam Lund
Mass Gathering Medicine (MGM), also referred to as “special events” and event medicine in the literature, is an emerging area of emergency prehospital care provided by multi-disciplinary teams through a variety of models dependent on event size, risk factors, geography, unique hazards and resources available.
Vision
To provide academic leadership in research, education, clinical support tools, and advocacy/policy development to protect and improve the quality of care in the context of special events for British Columbians, Canadians, and to contribute to the world literature on MGM.
Long Term Goals
- To support multi-disciplinary leaders in MGM research in order to create knowledge that will strengthen evidence-based risk assessment, strategic planning, pre-event collaboration, injury prevention and harm-reduction, on-event provision of care, and post-event reporting
- To maintain an international Registry of MGM events as a core resource to support evidence-based recommendations for best practice
- To develop educational resources that support the development of robust, multi-disciplinary teams with the knowledge and skills to provide optimal care in a range of event contexts
- To advocate for event safety, and provide consultation and support to government agencies (municipal and provincial) involved in permit-granting of special events to ensure that adequate tools are available to support decision-makers in evaluating and approving realistic risk assessments, and emergency management and safety plans
- To create knowledge around clinical best practices and support activities that translate that knowledge into practice
Short Term Goals
- Participate in guideline development for mass gatherings through Emergency Management BC
- Maintain and expand the scope of the UBC DEM MGM Registry (www.ubcmgm.ca/registry)
- Participate in the development of a data framework with international collaborators to improve interjurisdictional comparisons and meta-analyses by MGM researchers
- Contribute to networking, theory and conceptual development of MGM through interdisciplinary team publication
- Support multi-disciplinary learners to participate in MGM events through planned mentorships by seasoned, practicing health care professionals in the event context
Key Partners and Stakeholders
- UBC Departments of Emergency Medicine and School of Nursing
- Justice Institute of BC
- BC Ambulance Service – Special Operations Division
- Emergency Management BC
- Union of BC Municipalities
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
- World Health Organization – Virtual Interactive Advisory Group on Mass Gatherings
- World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine
- Medical Services Providers (not exhaustive), such as St. John Ambulance, SportMedBC, and other medical teams specific to individual events
Work to Date
The MGM group began in 2008 at the Pemberton Music Festival, with the introduction of the first MGM Elective resident learner. The vision expanded from education to include research, clinical practice support and advocacy that Fall. The group has engaged in and completed several research projects, and presented at local, national, and international conferences. MGM was the first approved Interest Group in the UBC DEM, and established the template and structure for future interest groups. The group continues to engage with diverse stakeholders, and is viewed as a central source for expert input into mass gathering and special event issues in our province and beyond.