The "Worried Well" Response to CBRN Events: Analysis and Solutions
Abstract
Chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons in the hands of a terrorist or a rogue state is one of the greatest threats to the security of the United States. These weapons of mass destruction (WMD) can cause catastrophic loss of life and innumerable injuries and can challenge the U.S. health care system beyond its capacity to provide treatment. Most hospitals do not have the beds, equipment, staff, or facilities to adequately respond to a WMD event. Compounding this problem is that many people who have minimal or no exposure to a CBRN agent will seek medical care and slow down medical treatment of genuinely affected patients. These "worried well" patients may comprise as many as 20 times the number of legitimate patients and may become one of the most difficult aspects of dealing with WMD events. This paper is an examination of the worried well phenomenon. It looks at three CBRN events that are often noted for unaffected masses seeking medical care: the Goiania Radiation Incident, the Aum Shinrikyo Attack, and the Anthrax Letters Incident. The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, it provides a better understanding of the worried well response. Existing worried well literature often contains bold proclamations of the problem without substantial analysis; researchers often cite cases but fail to provide any indepth study of them. This paper provides a closer examination of the cases and shows that the worried well response is neither irrational nor characterized by panic. Instead, when examined from informational, medical, and psychological perspectives, the worried well response is largely a rational reaction. Second, the paper provides a strategy to mitigate the worried well response in CBRN events. The paper cannot provide a detailed worried well response plan for every possible CBRN event, but it does provide the basic elements to reduce the response and still allow proper health care for everyone affected by a CBRN event.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA475818
Entities
People
- Fred P. Stone
Organizations
- Air University