Clinical Effectiveness, Guidelines & Policies Development

Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid

Similar to the concept of physical first aid in its focus on stabilising a person’s condition and avoiding further trauma, "psychological first aid" (PFA) has been proposed by the World Health Organization as the intervention model of choice to be applied immediately after disasters and emergencies. However, there is a lack of direct research to demonstrate the application and effectiveness of this approach in emergency settings among both victims and disaster responders.

More about this study

Disaster Case Studies in the Asia Pacific Region

Ongoing projects include the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China, the 2010 Forgotten Fire in Bhutan, and the 2011 floods in the Mekong Delta. While Asia is ranked as the most disaster-prone region of the world in both natural and man-made disasters, research and training in the Asia Pacific Region are limited. There is a lack of published educational materials on the epidemiological profile of disasters and their human health impact using case studies from the Asia Pacific Region.

More about this study

Pre-flight Screening and In-flight Medical Emergencies

Previous studies indicated that in-flight medical emergencies were common in Hong Kong and the elderly were at a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, while some studies have suggested that pre-flight medical clearance may be effective in reducing in-flight medical events. A pioneering study under this project is entitled "Use of pre-flight screening of the elderly to prevent in-flight medical emergencies: a pilot study."

More about this study