Research Projects
Research Projects
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
Assessing hospital disaster and emergency preparedness and identifying the gaps are crucial for Lebanon due to its past experience with natural and man-made disasters. This project focuses on assessing the hospital disaster and emergency preparedness in Lebanon through three steps: (1) establishing a Hospital Disaster and Emergency Preparedness (HDEP) tool through a literature review, (2) adapting the HDEP tool to the Lebanese context via a modified Delphi process with local experts, and (3) administering the tool to directors of hospitals with at least a 100 bed capacity in all governates of Lebanon.
Related Publications
Hospital Disaster and Emergency Preparedness (HDEP) in Lebanon: A National Comprehensive Assessment
Samar Al-Hajj, Hadi Abou-El-Hassan, Lana Khalil, Haytham MA. Kaafarani, Mazen El Sayed. Hospital disaster and emergency preparedness (HDEP) in Lebanon: A national comprehensive assessment. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Volume 51, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101889
Pediatric Injuries Project
The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) has a high burden of child injury deaths, resulting from transportation, unintentional injuries, and violence. This research project aims to comprehensively evaluate and describe pediatric injuries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) with a particular focus on Lebanon. It will examine the prevalence and types of pediatric injuries, as well as the associated risk factors, and the burden of injuries and burns among pediatric Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The ultimate goal is to identify effective policies and strategies for pediatric injury prevention and management. This collaborative project involves multiple local and international institutions.
Related Publications
Child and Adolescent Injury Burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 1990- 2017
Al-Hajj, S., El Bcheraoui, C., Daoud, F. et al. Child and adolescent injury burden in the eastern mediterranean region: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 1990-2017. BMC Public Health 20, 433 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08523-w
Child Transport Injuries and Deaths in Lebanon: A Multicentre Retrospective Study
Al-Hajj S, Arjinian S, Hamadeh Z, et al. Child transport injuries and deaths in Lebanon: a multicentre retrospective studyBMJ Open 2020; 10: e037973. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037973
Child School Injury in Lebanon: A Study to Assess Injury Incidence, Severity and Risk Factors
Al-Hajj S, Nehme R, Hatoum F, Zheng A, Pike I (2020) Child school injury in Lebanon: A study to assess injury incidence, severity and risk factors. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0233465. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233465
Road Traffic Injuries Project
Analyzing Factors Associated with Fatal Road Crashes: A Machine Learning Approach
Road traffic injury accounts for a substantial human and economic burden globally. Understanding risk factors contributing to fatal injuries is of paramount importance. We designed a model that adopted a hybrid ensemble machine learning classifier to identify risk factors contributing to fatal road injuries. Based on model testing, seven variables were significantly associated with fatality occurrence, including crash type, injury severity, spatial cluster-ID, and crash time (hour). Evidence from this study should be translated into safety programs and enhanced road policies.
Related Publications
Background:
Lebanon Injury History Project
This research project aims to systematically map and comprehensively examine the historical trends of injuries in Lebanon from 1945 to 2017, with a focus on identifying the major types of injuries, their causes, risk factors, and any associated social, political, and economic events. The ultimate goal is to identify the gaps in injury prevention and managment and direct future research work. This project is in partnership with the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR).