Digital Simulation Exercises to Improve Response Management to Infectious Disease Outbreaks in the Maritime Environment

Introduction: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the occurrence of mass incidents of infectious diseases has become more likely. Preparedness for and management of such outbreaks in the maritime setting onboard ships and in ship-shore interactions require profound knowledge of technical and organizational issues and communicational skills. Simulation and field exercises play a crucial role to internalize these capabilities among relevant stakeholders. Material and Methods: Exercises were developed to train communication and collaboration among stakeholders within an outbreak. Coordinators and active players were connected on a digital platform that offered video conferences, an internal email-client, and a chat forum. Evaluators and observers followed the exercises simultaneously via non-listed youtube-channels. In hot- and cold digital debriefing sessions participants provided feedback including information on occupational stress level and coping during exercises. Results: Three simulation exercises and one field drill were developed, performed and evaluated between June and October 2021 which targeted to train response management to mass incidents of different infectious diseases on large passenger ships. This format allowed coordinators of the exercises to initiate a steady enhancement of exercise settings (e.g. scenario and platform development) and the active participants to reflect and improve their performance and occupational processes during exercises. Conclusions: Digital simulation exercises are an adequate format to exercise the response management of stakeholders to mass incidents in the maritime setting.