Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T01:42:15.043Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Defining and Operationalizing Disaster Preparedness in Hospitals: A Systematic Literature Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2019

Marlous LMI Verheul Open the ORCID record for Marlous LMI Verheul [Opens in a new window]  and
Michel LA Dückers Open the ORCID record for Michel LA Dückers [Opens in a new window]
Marlous LMI Verheul*
Affiliation:
University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Michel LA Dückers
Affiliation:
ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, The Netherlands Nivel – Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
Correspondence: Marlous LMI Verheul University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrecht, The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

Societies invest substantial amounts of resources on disaster preparedness of hospitals. However, the concept is not clearly defined nor operationalized in the international literature.

Aim:

This review aims to systematically assess definitions and operationalizations of disaster preparedness in hospitals, and to develop an all-encompassing model, incorporating different perspectives on the subject.

Methods:

A systematic search was conducted in five databases: Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Disaster Information Management Research Centre, and SafetyLit. Peer-reviewed articles containing definitions and operationalizations of disaster preparedness in hospitals were included. Articles published in languages other than English, or without available full-text, were excluded, as were articles on prehospital care. The findings from literature were used to build a model for hospital disaster preparedness.

Results:

In the included publications, 13 unique definitions of disaster preparedness in hospitals and 22 different operationalizations of the concept were found. Although the definitions differed in emphasis and width, they also reflected similar elements. Based on an analysis of the operationalizations, nine different components could be identified that generally were not studied in relation to each other. Moreover, publications primarily focused on structure and process aspects of disaster preparedness. The aim of preparedness was described in seven articles.

Discussion/Conclusion:

This review points at an absence of consensus on the definition and operationalization of disaster preparedness in hospitals. By combining elements of definitions and components operationalized, disaster preparedness could be conceptualized in a more comprehensive and complete way than before. The model presented can guide future disaster preparedness activities and research.

Keywords

definitiondisaster preparednesshospitalsoperationalizationsystematic review
Type
Systematic Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 61 - 68
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

UNISDR. Disaster Statistics. https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/disaster-statistics. Published March 6, 2015. Accessed April 5, 2018Google Scholar
Integrated Regional Information Networks. Disaster reduction and the human cost of disaster. https://www.humanitarianlibrary.org/sites/default/files/2014/02/IRIN_DisasterReduction.pdf. Published 2005. Accessed November 8, 2018.Google Scholar
EM-DAT database. The Emergency Events Database. https://www.emdat.be/emdat_db. Published 2009. Accessed November 11, 2018.Google Scholar
Bayntun, C, Rockenschaub, G, Murray, V. Developing a health system approach to disaster management: a qualitative analysis of the core literature to complement the WHO Toolkit for assessing health-system capacity for crisis management. PLoS Curr. 2012;4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djalali, A, Della Corte, F, Foletti, M, et al. Art of disaster preparedness in European Union: a survey on the health systems. PLoS Curr. 2014;6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dhawan, R, Mehrotra, S, Basukala, S. Role of hospitals medical science role of hospitals in disasters. Int J Sci Res. 2015;4(12):451–452.Google Scholar
Hanfling, D, Altevogt, BM, Gostin, LO. A framework for catastrophic disaster response. JAMA. 2015;308(7):675–676.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daily, E, Padjen, P, Birnbaum, M. A review of competencies developed for disaster healthcare providers: limitations of current processes and applicability. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010;25(5):387–395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asch, SM, Stoto, M, Mendes, M, et al.A review of instruments assessing public health preparedness. Public Health Rep. 2005;120(5):532–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenwood, E. New directions in delinquency research: a commentary on a study by Bernard Lander. Soc Serv Rev. 2009;30(2):147–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, MR. After 5 years of public health preparedness, are we ready yet? J Public Health Manag Pract. 2001;13(1):3–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelson, C, Lurie, N, Wasserman, J. Assessing public health emergency preparedness: concepts, tools, and challenges. Annu Rev Public Health. 2007;28:1–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barbera, JA, Yeatts, DJ, Macintyre, AG. Challenge of hospital emergency preparedness: analysis and recommendations. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(Supplement 1).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelson, C, Lurie, N, Wasserman, J, Zakowski, S. Conceptualization and defining public health emergency preparedness. Am J Public Health. 2007;97:S9–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaji, AH, Koenig, KL, Lewis, RJ. Current hospital disaster preparedness. JAMA. 2007;298(18):2188–2190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Slepski, LA. Emergency preparedness: concept development for nursing practice. Nurs Clin North Am. 2005;40(3):419–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olivieri, C, Ingrassia, PL, Della Corte, F, et al.Hospital preparedness and response in CBRN emergencies. Eur J Emerg Med. 2017;24(5):366–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrison, JP, Harrison, RA, Piermattei, HJ. The role of emergency medical planning in disaster response. Int J Public Pol. 2008;3:354–365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Archer, F, Synaeve, G. International guidelines and standards for education and training to reduce the consequences of events that may threaten the health status of a community. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(2):120–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNISDR. Terminology on disaster. https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology. Published February 2, 2017. Accessed November 11, 2018.Google Scholar
Tang, R. Evaluation of hospital preparedness for public health emergencies in Sichuan (China). PhD thesis; Queensland University of Technology: Queensland, Australia. 2015.Google Scholar
Paganini, M, Borrelli, F, Cattani, J, et al.Assessment of disaster preparedness among emergency departments in Italian hospitals: a cautious warning for disaster risk reduction and management capacity. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016;24(1):1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ciottone, G, Keim, ME. Disaster preparedness. In: Ciottone, GR. Disaster Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA: Elsevier Health Science; 2006:200–214.Google Scholar
Baack, S, Alfred, D. Nurses’ preparedness and perceived competence in managing disasters. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2013;45(3):281–287.Google ScholarPubMed
WHO. Hospital emergency response checklist. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/268766/Hospital-emergency-response-checklist-Eng.pdf. Published 2011. Accessed September 21, 2018.Google Scholar
WHO. A strategic framework for emergency preparedness. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/254883/1/9789241511827-eng.pdf. Published 2017. Accessed October 9, 2018.Google Scholar
Oxford English Dictionary. http://www.oed.com. Accessed September 8, 2018.Google Scholar
Zhong, S, Hou, X-Y, Clark, M, et al.Disaster resilience in tertiary hospitals: a cross-sectional survey in Shandong Province, China. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014;14(1):135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Janati, A, Sadeghi-bazargani, H, Hasanpoor, E, Sokhanvar, M, HaghGoshyie, E, Salehi, A. Emergency response of Iranian hospitals against disasters: a practical framework for improvement. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2017;(August):1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djalali, A, Castren, M, Khankeh, H, et al.Hospital disaster preparedness as measured by functional capacity: a comparison between Iran and Sweden. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(5):454–461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adini, B, Laor, D, Hornik-Lurie, T, Schwartz, D, Aharonson-Daniel, L. Improving hospital mass casualty preparedness through ongoing readiness evaluation. Am J Med Qual. 2012;27(5):426–433.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mcarthy, ML, Brewster, P. Consensus and tools needed to measure health care emergency management capabilities. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(3): S45–S51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chand, AM, Loosemore, M. A socio-ecological analysis of hospital resilience to extreme weather events. Cons Manag Econ. 2015;33(11-12):907–920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hick, JL, Hanfling, D, Cantrill, S V. Allocating scarce resources in disasters: emergency department principles. Ann Emerg Med. 2012;59(3):177–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaji, AHAH, Langford, V, Lewis, RJRJ. Assessing hospital disaster preparedness: a comparison of an on-site survey, directly observed drill performance, and video analysis of teamwork. Ann Emerg Med. 2008;52(3):195–201.e12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adini, B, Goldberg, A, Laor, D, Cohen, R, Zadok, R, Bar-Dayan, Y. Assessing levels of hospital emergency preparedness. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2006;21(6):451–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tang, R, Fitzgerald, G, Hou, XY, Wu, YP. Building an evaluation instrument for china’s hospital emergency preparedness: a systematic review of preparedness instruments. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(1):101–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soremekun, OA, Zane, RD, Walls, A, Allen, MB, Seefeld, KJ, Pallin, DJ. Cancellation of scheduled procedures as a mechanism to generate hospital bed surge capacity: a pilot study. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26(3):224–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillett, B, Silverberg, M, Roblin, P, Adelaine, J, Valesky, W, Arquilla, B. Computer-facilitated assessment of disaster preparedness for remote hospitals in a long-distance, virtual tabletop drill model. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26(3):230–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobalian, A, Stein, JA, Radcliff, TA, et al.Developing valid measures of emergency management capabilities within US Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):475–484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhong, S, Clark, M, Hou, X-YY, Zang, Y-LL, Fitzgerald, G. Development of hospital disaster resilience: conceptual framework and potential measurement. Emerg Med J. 2014;31(11):930–938.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christian, MD, Kollek, D, Schwartz, B. Emergency preparedness: what every health care worker needs to know. CJEM. 2005;7(5):330–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adini, B, Goldberg, A, Cohen, R, Laor, D, Bar-Dayan, Y. Evidence-based support for the all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness. Isr J Health Policy Res. 2012;1(1):1–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuntz, S, Smilie, J, Wang, J. How ready are we? Northwest Public Health. 2005;7.Google Scholar
Kosashvili, Y, Daniel, LA, Peleg, K, Horowitz, A, Laor, D, Blumenfeld, A. Israeli hospital preparedness for terrorism-related multiple casualty incidents: can the surge capacity and injury severity distribution be better predicted? Injury. 2009;40(7):727–731.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hick, JL, Barbera, JA, Kelen, GD. Refining surge capacity: conventional, contingency and crisis capacity. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(2):S59–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhong, S, Clark, M, Hou, XY, Zang, Y, Fitzgerald, G. Validation of a framework for measuring hospital disaster resilience using factor analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014;11(6):635–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verheul, ML, Dückers, MLA, Visser, BB, Beerens, RJ, Bierens, JJLM. Disaster exercises to prepare hospitals for mass-casualty incidents: does it contribute to preparedness or is it ritualism? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):387–393.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hsu, EB, Thomas, TL, Bass, EB, Whyne, D, Kelen, GD, Green, GB. Healthcare worker competencies for disaster training. BMC Med Educ. 2006;6(1):19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Verheul and Dückers supplementary material

Verheul and Dückers supplementary material 1

Download Verheul and Dückers supplementary material(File)
File 35.1 KB