Table 2.
Strengths and vulnerabilities of DHTs in the context of natural disasters.
| Technology | Uptake | Advantages | Vulnerabilities | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile phones and devices | Widespread use | Rapid, wide-area communications; efficient individual tracking and identification. | Expensive equipment required. Battery storage limits may impair use over time. Partially dependent on access to electricity. Vulnerable to scams/privacy invasion. |
[74] [75] [76] |
| Electronic health records | Increasing | Highly portable. Provides critical clinical history for displaced/non-communicative patients. |
Privacy concerns. Dependent on network availability and electrical power. Identification/documentation information may be unavailable to displaced persons. Requires advance implementation for utility in disaster situations. |
[77] [78] |
| Telehealth; Electronic prescribing; Electronic consultation |
Widespread use | Proven effectiveness in COVID-19 pandemic. Usable across multiple platforms (mobile devices, landlines, teleconferencing, internet). Greatly expands healthcare workforce effectiveness, especially in understaffed situations. Highly flexible. Demonstrated clinical utility and good evidence base. Use of radio frequency identification (RFID), barcodes, quick response (QR) codes. Limits errors and improves security and traceability. |
Dependent on intact communications infrastructure. Privacy concerns. Subtle clinical details may be obscured. Patient unfamiliarity/digital literacy may compromise effectiveness. |
[79] [80] [81] |
| Artificial Intelligence | Limited at present | Facilitates planning and logistics. Likely to aid diagnosis and care delivery in underserved areas in future. Greatest potential may be in training/simulation/situation analysis. |
Susceptible to input bias (i.e., data used for training algorithms may not be applicable to all populations). Concerns about “black box” decision making in clinical situations. Requires extensive advance planning/training/infrastructure for use. |
[82] [83] [32] |
| Robotics | Limited at present | Stand-off operation allows for access to dangerous/confined/inhospitable areas. Facilitates search and rescue. Dedicated clinical/surgical systems can deliver remote care. Can be combined with sensor networks and other technologies. Telemonitoring can augment reach of human carers in understaffed/underserved areas. |
Expensive equipment. Infrastructure dependent. Requires highly skilled operators and secure communications. Clinical/surgical robots confined to limited procedures. May not be relevant for post-disaster care. |
[54] [55] |
| Wireless Sensor Networks | Limited at present | Facilitate terrain/environmental monitoring. Can provide critical information for public health decision making. Synergistic with other DHTs (e.g., AI; robotics). Potential for supply chain/logistical monitoring in affected areas. |
Limited direct clinical utility for healthcare delivery. May require centralized monitoring networks. |
[84] |
| Drones/Uncrewed vehicles | Increasing | Strong potential for use in monitoring, search and rescue, and supply/logistics in affected areas. | May not be a core DHT component. High skill/training requirement at present. Limited power/battery life. |
[57] [56] [58] |