Tabletop exercises as a potential to improve "Preparedness for Society in Health Crises and Disasters"

Abstract

The PREPSHIELD project, acronym for "Preparedness for Society in Health Crises and Disasters", is part of the "HORIZON-CL3-2023-DRS-01-01" funding program titled "Improving Social and Societal Preparedness for Disaster Response and Health Emergencies". It aims to enhance preparedness for health crises by incorporating both social and societal elements, highlighted by the urgent needs revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on a people-centered approach, PREPSHIELD leverages AI technology to develop strategies and platforms that address the social impacts of health emergencies. Spearheaded by the Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale with a €3,891,762.5 budget, this initiative unites a diverse group of stakeholders, including government, civil society, and healthcare entities, to foster tailored communication, management, and simulation tools for anticipating future crises. The project features drills and simulations across local to national scales, supported by a digital platform leveraging the CRIMSON model for effective crisis communication. Bringing together five universities, numerous government and non-profit organizations, an SME, and large companies from seven EU member states and Switzerland, PREPSHIELD seeks to significantly advance preparedness and response capabilities for health crises through innovative technology and a comprehensive, collaborative approach. The results of the project are expected to be methods and approaches that provide evaluation tools and metrics for reviewing crisis management. In addition, proposals for action will be developed for the context of crisis management in health crises.