Crisis Management Ethics Effectiveness of Emergency Management

Crisis Management Ethics

Effectiveness of Emergency Management and Readiness of Trauma:

An issue of primary importance when conducting field work such as is proposed here is the protection of both the privacy and security of those being observed. This is true for both emergency management professionals and for those who may be served in the context of an emergency during the time of our observation. Thus, it is of primary ethical importance that research be conducted with the anonymity of participants properly maintained. The onus to ensure this will fall upon researchers. This is especially important because the head of each trauma unit will be the first point of contact. Given this individual's role in the hierarchy of each facility, it is essential that assurances are made to respondents that their identities will not be associated with specific data sets outside the circle or researchers. Those the head of each trauma unit will be essential in the distribution process, neither this individual nor any other beyond the researchers would have access to the responses or to any other unpublished findings.

This is important not only in terms of according due ethical diligence in the research process but also in terms of creating an atmosphere where respondents can feel free to respond with total candor.

In addition, the fact that field work will be conducted through an ethnographic process of analysis, particular attention will be required to ensure that ethical objectivity and distance from the subjects both are maintained. It is important to produce an evaluation of each of the Connecticut facilities assessed that is free from bias and which accurately reflects the realities at each facility. In particular, because the study intends to differentiate between perceptions of performance in the facilities assessed and the actualities of performance, establishing parameters by which such measurements can be made without undue influence either from researchers or from subjects who are conscious of the observation process will be a significant ethical challenge.

This demand calls for the design of a survey instrument which is itself balanced and objective in its approach to the subject. Where scientific integrity is concerned, the design of the survey instrument is a particularly sensitive subject. This requires that the researcher create a line of questioning that is neither manipulative nor leading but which adequately invokes a consideration of the subject on the part of the respondent. One way to ensure that the survey instrument is balanced and objective is to create a pilot study in which select experts from the field -- independent from the subjects that are to be evaluated -- respond to and evaluate the survey. With the input gathered from such a program, it would be possible to refine the study and ensure the fairness of its design, content and sequencing.