Towards optimal decision making in mass casualty incidents management through ICT: A systematic review

To examine the prevalence and trend of experimental research on the effectiveness of ICT use in supporting the management of mass casualty incidents. A systematic review was conducted in five electronic databases between February and March 2022 following the PRISMA guidelines. The analysis included studies published since 2012. A total of fifteen studies were included in the final analysis. Three themes were identified: 1) the response of medical teams to mass casualty incidents, 2) the simulation of mass casualty incidents, and 3) the digitisation of mass casualty incident workflows. The available evidence is limited due to the relatively small number of studies on the use of information and communication technology and the response of emergency rescue teams to mass casualty incidents. Therefore, further research is needed on the impact of information and communication technology on the efficiency, work, and decision-making of incident commanders during mass casualty incidents. Furthermore, more dynamism is needed to accumulate knowledge and methodological expertise to explore experimental ideas in the European Union, where such research is lacking.