292 - PEACE: Preparedness and Emergency Action for Children with Pulmonary Hypertension

Publication Number: 2282.292

Shalini Shah, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Molly Gilmore, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Lauren McGlynn, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Diane Story, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Janiya M. Holder, Boston Children's Hospital, Washington, DC, United States; Marissa Hauptman, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Mary P.. Mullen, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

Background: The climate crisis poses a significant public health threat by increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events (EWE) such as wildfires, floods, and heat waves. Health risks associated with EWE include physical injuries, infectious disease outbreaks, mental health challenges, and disruptions to societal and healthcare systems. Children with complex medical needs are particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on caregivers, healthcare devices and systems for survival. Disaster preparedness counseling is crucial for reducing these risks and building adaptive capacity in this group.

Objective: This study aimed to develop a clinical screening tool to evaluate the educational needs and emergency preparedness of patients and families with pulmonary hypertension.

Design/Methods: We created a 20-question screening questionnaire that was administered in three languages at our tertiary medical center’s outpatient pulmonary hypertension clinic. Screener content asked about families’ awareness of regional EWE and resources, access to critical medical information and supplies, emergency toolkits readiness, and access to back-up power supply sources. The survey concluded with a self-reported assessment of general emergency preparedness using a five-point Likert scale and was paired with an educational resource that addressed these topics.

Results: In the six-month pilot, 47 families completed the questionnaire. The mean self-reported emergency preparedness level was 3.56 (range 1-5). Most respondents endorsed awareness of regional EWE (41/47; 87.2%) and were enrolled in emergency alerts (40/50; 80.0%). Though many families had lists of medical providers (41/47; 87.2%) and pharmacy suppliers (42/47; 89.3%) on hand, 57.4 % (27/47) did not have illness-specific medical documentation readily available, 89.4% (42/47) reported they did not have medical alert bracelets, and 42.6% (20/47) did not have an emergency kit prepared with a three day supply of medications and supplies. Two thirds of the population were not CPR-certified (31/41; 66.0%), but 67.7% of this group (21/31) endorsed interest in obtaining a certification. 55.3% of respondents reported use of medical therapies that require a power supply (26/47). Of this group, 65.4% (17/26) had access to generators or backup power supplies but only 23.1% (6/26) had a utility protection form in place for emergency protection.

Conclusion(s): Dedicated emergency preparedness screening in a high-risk population revealed actionable health vulnerabilities related to EWE. Future efforts addressing these care gaps can help mitigate risk and foster climate resiliency.