OBJECTIVES: Risks and priorities change during the management of public health incidents. Here we describe a new tool, the Incident Management Measurement Tool (IMMT), that can be used to inform midcourse corrections during public health emergencies and realistic exercises. METHODS: We developed the IMMT through a literature review and subject matter expert interviews. We field tested the tool in 23 incidents ranging in size, duration, and complexity, making changes based on user feedback. RESULTS: The IMMT consists of 2 modular data collection methods, a survey of the incident management team and a protocol for a peer assessor. Pilot testing suggested that the tool is valid, reliable, feasible, and useful. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of public health incident management is feasible and may be useful for improving response times and outcomes. Moreover, a limited set of standard measures is relevant to a wide range of incident response contexts.

OBJECTIVE: Effective incident management is essential for coordinating efforts of multiple disciplines and stakeholders when responding to emergencies, including public health disasters such as the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: Existing research frameworks tend to focus on formal structures and doctrine (eg, ICS-NIMS); however, organizational processes that underlie incident management have not been systematically assessed and synthesized into a coherent conceptual framework. RESULTS: The lack of a framework has hindered the development of measures of performance that could be used to further develop the evidence base and facilitate process improvement. To address this gap, we present a conceptual framework of incident management drawn from expert feedback and a review of literature on incident management and related fields. The framework features 23 measurement constructs grouped into 5 domains: (1) situational awareness and information sharing, (2) incident action and implementation planning, (3) resource management and mobilization, (4) coordination and collaboration, and (5) feedback and continuous quality improvement. CONCLUSIONS: As such, the article provides a first step toward the development of robust measures for assessing the performance and effectiveness of incident management systems.

Carpet weaving among children is common in rural Pakistan, but little information is available on the health effects of this work. A total of 628 carpet-weaving children and 292 non-working children from 10 rural villages were evaluated with questionnaires and physical exams. Fifty-five home-based and 30 shed-based worksites in these villages were assessed. Girls comprised the majority of working (73%) and non-working (69%) children; the mean age for both boys and girls was 10 years. The mean number of hours worked daily was 7.2 for males and 6.8 for females. Dust exposure in homes was generally higher than in sheds. Working children had significantly greater odds of joint pain (OR = 2.8), dry cough (OR = 2.5), cuts/bruises (OR = 22.1), Phalen's sign (OR = 17.2), and neck/shoulder abnormalities (OR = 14.2). Symptoms and signs of acute and repetitive injury and respiratory symptoms were more common among carpet-weaving children than their non-working peers.