Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Volume 10, Issue 3 , Pages 195-207, September 2009

Family Reunification—Concepts and Challenges

  • Alan L. Nager, MD, MHA

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests and correspondence: Alan L. Nager, MD, Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd. MS #113, Los Angeles, CA 90027.
    • Co-Director, Education and Training Core, Pediatric Disaster Resource and Training Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

This article offers an outline for the components of disaster planning and response where considerations for family reunification should occur and describes the challenges and solutions within each. Challenges and solutions are described in 6 areas including practice and planning, clinical services, ancillary support, transportation and accommodations, communication and identification, and psychological support. Family reunification will be more successful if these challenges are understood and solutions are enacted.

Keywords: children, disaster, planning, family reunification, identification, tracking, ancillary services

 

PII: S1522-8401(09)00051-2

doi:10.1016/j.cpem.2009.06.003

Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Volume 10, Issue 3 , Pages 195-207, September 2009

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