| Summary |
Changes in medical cases prior to, during and after Hurricane Matthew are spatially analyzed using data from emergency transport provided by the East Care Emergency Medicine group. IRB clearance has been received to analyze emergency medical service (EMS) data gathered by the East Care. Coordinate points delivered from East Care show the locations where EMS traveled to during a two-week period prior to, during the duration (Oct 8th- Oct 9th) and two-week period after Hurricane Matthew. These data have coordinates of a particular hospital supported by East Care and will show which air craft response attended to the call. Each call has the following data associated with them: the location of pick-up; the exact time the call; response time; patient zip code; and the type of medical issue. Descriptive and frequency statistics are used to examine differences number of calls, location of calls, types of responses, and types of medical issues vary between the three time periods. Trend surface analyses will be used to map generated from trend surface analyses show differences in the spatial patterns associated with the hurricane compared to the year prior to and after the hurricane (both years with no hurricanes in the area ). The results show the 2016 magnitude of calls was significantly higher. Medical calls were also the highest call during 2016 for the 3- da7, 7-day, 15-day, and 30-day period. Patients in the age range of 65 and up were transported the most by air support. A significant hotspot of air pickups in 2016 is identified in the counties between the Tar and Pamlico Rivers for a full 30 days to only 15 days, 7-days, and 3-days after the storm and this hotspot differs from those identified in non-hurricane years. Referring hospitals pickups also differ in the storm and non-storm periods as after the hurricane there are more pickups in hospitals closes to the Outer Banks. The findings indicate the a distinct geographic change in the location of air pick-ups during a storm period, the older adults and young children/babies are more impacted than other age populations across all time-periods of investigation. However, there is a general increase in the various types of calls regardless of age within the 3-day to 7-day time-period. Hospitals close to the location of the landfall had the highest incidence of pick-up calls compared with the non-hurricane periods investigated. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment |
| General note | Advisor: Thad Wasklewicz |
| General note | Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 23, 2020). |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 2019. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Technical details | System requirements: Adobe Reader. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web. |
