Hick, J., Hanfling, D., and Cantrill, S. (2011). Allocating Scarce Resources in Disasters: Emergency Department Principles. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 59:177-187.

The authors conducted a review on disaster literature in order to provide emergency physicians with a framework of principles on which medical interventions provided may be adjusted according to demand and the resources available. They emphasize that different incidents call for different responses (conventional, contingency, and crisis), making preparation and a solid understanding of the framework essential to making informed decisions during an event.