Key Issues for Healthcare Services in Disasters: Relief International

This report outlines a research proposal focusing on the challenges faced by Relief International in managing healthcare services during emergencies and disasters. The research aims to identify the key issues encountered by Relief International, UK, in this context. The methodology involves an exploratory research design, utilizing a combination of interpretivism and positivism, and collecting both primary data through surveys of management officials and secondary data from various sources like journals and reports. Purposive sampling will be used to select a sample of 20 management officials. The data collected will be analyzed using qualitative methods, specifically thematic analysis, to identify key themes and patterns. The research also emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations and states that ethical approval will be sought from the IRAS (Integrated Research Application System).

Dissertation Outline

Topic: Key issues and challenges in managing healthcare services in emergency and disaster in
Relief International in UK
1. Subject area for the project and brief rationale for choice
There are various natural, biological and societal disasters and emergencies due to which
health of vulnerable populations may be put at risk. These include earthquakes, tsunamis, land-
slides, floods, cyclones, epidemic diseases etc. It also includes technological disasters such as
transport clashes, radiological agents etc. As a result of these disasters, there is caused disruption
of health systems as well as other services and facilities. As a result of this, people who are hit by
natural disaster are not able to access health care services. Relief organizations are involved in
providing non- military or humanitarian relief during the times of emergencies and natural
disasters. Relief International is a non- profit organization that works with the aim to reduce
human suffering by responding to natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies (Relief
International, 2016).
Relief organizations work with partners to arrange healthcare services in emergency and
disaster situations. This requires development of capacities so that timely response and recovery
is provided by adopting a more proactive approach. However, these organizations face various
problems during provision and management of healthcare services in emergency and disaster,
which are important to be considered and mitigated. Therefore, the present research will be
conducted to explore the key issues and challenges that are faced by Relief International in
managing healthcare services in disaster and emergency.
2. Specific research question
What are the key issues and challenges faced by Relief International, UK, in managing
healthcare services in emergency and disaster?
3. Methodology
Primary data collection methodology will be used for this research as it will help in
providing updated and realistic information regarding the issues and challenges that Relief
International faces while managing healthcare services in disaster.
Research design: For the present research, exploratory design will be used.
Research philosophy: A combination of interpretivism and positivism philosophies will
be used.
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Data collection: For the present study on Relief International, both primary and
secondary data will be collected. Primary data will be collected from management officials of
Relief International. For this, survey will be conducted. Secondary data will be collected through
a number of sources such as journals, books, government reports, reports of relief agencies,
online blogs etc.
Sampling: Purposive sampling will be used for selected a sample of management
officials. This will be done because the relevant information about the issues and challenges
faced can only be provided by the management officials as they decide the course of action taken
for managing healthcare services during a natural disaster. Hence, purposive sampling will be
suitable. The sample size will be 20.
Data analysis: Data will be analysed through qualitative analysis. For this, the technique
of thematic analysis will be used. This will help in analysing the data in detail in the form of
themes.
Ethical approval
Research ethics are important part of every research. Ethical norms and guidelines ensure
that the project is carried out in a way that does not harm anyone who is directly or indirectly
associated with the research. Ethical approval will be sought from Ethics committee that is from
IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) which is a single system that enables to apply
for permission for health and social care research in UK.
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REFERENCES
Balcik, B., Beamon, B. M. and Ramirez, M., 2010. Coordination in humanitarian relief chains:
Practices, challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Production Economics.
126(1). pp.22-34.
Online
Relief International. 2016. [Online]. Available through:<https://www.ri.org/about-us>.
[Accesseed on 21st February 2017].
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