Open AccessHospitals preparedness using WHO guideline: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Rezaei Fatemeh,
Maracy Mohammad Reza,
Yarmohammadian Mohammad H,
Sheikhbardsiri Hojat
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/1024907918760123
Subject(s) - checklist , preparedness , emergency management , medical emergency , mass casualty incident , medicine , scopus , guideline , strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology , critical appraisal , disaster preparedness , observational study , poison control , medline , suicide prevention , psychology , alternative medicine , political science , pathology , law , cognitive psychology
Background: Hospitals play a critical role in providing communities with essential medical care during disasters. Objectives: In this article, the key components and recommended actions of WHO (World Health Organization) Hospital emergency response checklist have been considered to identify current practices in disaster/emergency hospital preparedness in actual or potential incidents. Methods: Articles were obtained through bibliographic databases, including ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and SID: Scientific information database. Keywords were “Disaster,” “Preparedness,” “Emergency Preparedness,” “Disaster Planning,” “Mass Casualty Incidents,” “Hospital Emergency Preparedness,” “Health Emergency Preparedness,” “Preparedness Response,” and “Emergency Readiness.” Independent reviewers (F.R. and M.H.Y.) screened abstracts and titles for eligibility. STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) checklist was used to qualifying the studies for this review. Results: Of 1545 identified studies, 26 articles were implied inclusion criteria. They accounted for nine key components and 92 recommended actions. The majority of principles that had been rigorously recommended at any level of the hospital emergency preparedness were command and control and post‐disaster recovery. Surge capacity was considered less frequently. Conclusion: We recommend considering the proposed disaster categories by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). In this framework, different weights for nine components can be considered based on disaster categories. Thus, a more valid and reliable preparedness checklist could be developed.