The medical response to the Boston Marathon bombings: an analysis of social media commentary and professional opinion

Objectives: To explore the differences in perception of the medical response to the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings between laypeople and healthcare professionals. Methods: Commentary accessible and available on Internet discussion websites by non-medically trained persons and in the academic literature by healthcare professionals was analysed qualitatively. Results: Major themes were found relating to both the pre-hospital and hospital-based phases of the medical response to the disaster. Laypeople focused more on pre-hospital care and the actions of specific bystanders, while healthcare professionals focused on hospital care, the importance of a disaster plan, and frequent training for the success of the response. Conclusion: Laypeople and healthcare professionals have positive but differing perceptions of the medical response to the victims of the bombings. This may have implications for future funding and implementation of disaster preparedness.