Prerequisites of Preparedness against Earthquake in Hospital System: A Survey from Iran
Open Access
- 10 November 2013
- journal article
- Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education in Global Journal of Health Science
- Vol. 6 (2), 237-245
- https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n2p237
Abstract
Considering the history of frequent, and severe, earthquakes in Iran and the importance of health care service delivery by hospitals in these cases, having a plan to deal with disasters should be considered a priority. The aim of this study was the observance of preparedness prerequisites against earthquake in hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS) and its relationship with demographic and organizational characteristics. This was a cross- sectional study that was conducted in 15 hospitals affiliated with SBUMS, Iran in 2012. Data were collected using observation of documents and questionnaire consists of 138 questions in 8 dimensions. The content validity and reliability were confirmed. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistic, t-test and ANOVA. Results showed that 86.7% of hospitals were in good preparedness level, with the average 85.9 ± 15.5. The maximum and minimum level of preparedness was related to mitigation of construction hazards (56.6 ± 35.6) and support of vital services (97.2 ± 6.0) dimensions, respectively. According to the results, there was a significant statistical difference between mean preparedness and safety of equipment and hazardous materials, hospital evacuation and field treatment, hospital environmental health proceedings, hospital curriculum programs and support of services dimensions with management experience (P<0.05). Although results corroborate that preparedness prerequisites against earthquake are in good level but attention to the weaknesses mitigation of construction hazards dimension and strengthening these prerequisites, which have obvious impacts on the structural vulnerability of hospitals and adjacent buildings in earthquakes, have been proposed.Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Current Hospital Disaster PreparednessJAMA, 2007
- Managing Bioterrorism Mass Casualties in an Emergency Department: Lessons Learned From a Rural Community Hospital Disaster DrillDisaster Management & Response, 2007
- Disaster and mass casualty management in a hospital: how well are we prepared?2006
- Disaster Healthcare System Management and Crisis Intervention Leadership in Thailand–Lessons Learned from the 2004 Tsunami DisasterPrehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2006
- Medical experience of a university hospital in Turkey after the 1999 Marmara earthquakeEmergency Medicine Journal, 2005
- Integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies for the assessment of health care systems: emergency medicine in post-conflict SerbiaBMC Health Services Research, 2005
- Strategies in Evaluation and Management of Bam Earthquake VictimsPrehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2005
- After 9/11: Priority Focus Areas for Bioterrorism Preparedness in HospitalsJournal of Healthcare Management, 2004