Information and Readiness Build Resilience: The Role of the Disaster Information Management Research Center

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) established the Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) in 2008 based on its history of providing health information for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The NLM long range plan (Charting a Course for the 21st Century: NLM\u27s Long Range Plan 2006-2016) called for creation of a center to show a strong commitment to disaster remediation and to provide a platform for demonstrating how libraries and librarians can be part of the solution to this national problem . NLM was urged to ensure continuous access to health information and effective use of libraries and librarians when disasters occur . This article describes the efforts of DIMRC to ensure librarians have access to training to understand their roles in preparedness and response, online and mobile disaster medicine and public health emergency resources are available, and tools are developed to enhance the exchange of critical information during and following disasters

Integrating Health Research into Disaster Response: The New NIH Disaster Research Response Program

The need for high quality and timely disaster research has been a topic of great discussion over the past several years. Recent high profile incidents have exposed gaps in knowledge about the health impacts of disasters or the benefits of specific interventions—such was the case with the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill and recent events associated with lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and the evolving health crisis related to Zika virus disease. Our inability to perform timely research to inform the community about health and safety risks or address specific concerns further heightens anxiety and distrust. Since nearly all disasters, whether natural or man-made, have an environmental health component, it is critical that specialized research tools and trained researchers be readily available to evaluate complex exposures and health effects, especially for vulnerable sub-populations such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with socioeconomic and environmental disparities. In response, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science has initiated a Disaster Research Response Program to create new tools, protocols, networks of researchers, training exercises, and outreach involving diverse groups of stakeholders to help overcome the challenges of disaster research and to improve our ability to collect vital information to reduce the adverse health impacts and improve future preparedness