Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Donato Di Ludovico, Chiara Capannolo, Giordano d'Aloisio
Summary: The University of L'Aquila Territori Aperti project focuses on disaster prevention and management, and reconstruction and development of affected areas. It involves developing disaster preparedness toolkit, collecting and analyzing good practices in post-disaster reconstruction management, and incorporating them into recovery plans. The research methodology includes structuring the toolkit and transfer of recommendations into recovery strategies. The study has been tested in case studies of the 2009 Abruzzo earthquake and the 2016-17 Central Italy earthquake.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Md. K. Hasan, S. M. Nasrullah, A. Quattrocchi, P. Arcos Gonzalez, R. Castro-Delgado
Summary: This study aimed to review the preparedness activities and barriers to hospital surge capacity in disasters and emergencies. Thirteen peer-reviewed studies were included, and various strategies in staff, stuff, space, and system domains were identified to enhance hospital surge capacity preparedness. However, several barriers were recognized.
Article
Nursing
Zahra Chegini, Morteza Arab-Zozani, Edris Kakemam, Mojgan Lotfi, Afsaneh Nobakht, Hanieh Aziz Karkan
Summary: This study evaluated the levels of disaster core competencies and preparedness among nurses in the emergency department in six hospitals in Qazvin, Iran. The results showed that there are gaps in disaster preparedness and core competencies for emergency nurses, with communication skills being the lowest. Older nurses with disaster experience and less professional experience perceived better disaster core competencies.
Article
Nursing
Hyerine Shin, Kyung Hee Kim, Ji-su Kim, Yeun-hee Kwak
Summary: This study examined nurses' duty to care during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified influencing factors. Results showed that age and employment at tertiary hospitals increased nurses' duty to care, while male sex, higher education, and employment at tertiary hospitals increased perceived risk. Male sex and employment at tertiary or general hospitals increased confidence in the employer, while higher education and longer clinical career decreased the same. Age and higher monthly wage increased perceived obligation, and age, lack of religious beliefs, and clinical experience of 3-7 years increased professional preparedness.
Article
Immunology
Kenneth A. Michelson, Chris A. Rees, Jayshree Sarathy, Paige VonAchen, Michael Wornow, Michael C. Monuteaux, Mark Neuman
Summary: This study found that during a pandemic, interregional transfers of patients could fully resolve bed shortfalls in almost all worst-case scenarios, with mean transfer distances ranging from 24 to 405 miles for inpatients and 73 to 476 miles for ICU patients.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Rhiannon A. D. G. E. Blanchette, Egid M. van Bree, Joost J. L. M. Bierens
Summary: Despite having a good healthcare system, recent studies have shown that the Netherlands struggles with hospital disaster preparedness. The lack of formal requirements for hospital disaster preparedness plans and the evaluation framework in the country may be contributing factors. This study aimed to evaluate the preparedness of Dutch hospitals by using the WHO Hospital Emergency Response Checklist. Results showed that none of the participating hospitals achieved an effective preparedness score and there was a significant variability in the configuration of the studied plans.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Louise Soderin, Joakim Agri, Elsa Hammarberg, Kristina Lennquist-Montan, Carl Montan
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the disaster preparedness of Swedish hospitals, with a focus on mass casualty incidents (MCI), through an online survey. The findings showed significant differences between regions and hospital types regarding contingency plans, organization, education for key functions, disaster training, and triage systems. While Swedish hospitals generally cover most key areas in disaster preparedness, there is room for improvement, and national guidelines for equivalent contingency plans are needed.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAUMA AND EMERGENCY SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Reiko Nihonyanagi, Keiko Tsukasaki, Tomoya Itatani, Hisao Nakai, Daisuke Toda
Summary: This study investigates the preparedness of patients undergoing hemodialysis for emergency dialysis in the event of a natural disaster, and identifies the factors influencing such preparedness. The study finds that a significant proportion of patients lack preparedness, which is associated with employment status, lack of awareness about disaster information acquisition methods, lack of explanations on proper disaster response from dialysis facility staff, and belief that their family away from home would not be concerned about them. This highlights the inadequate disaster preparedness among patients undergoing dialysis and the need for strengthened guidance and education.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Md Khalid Hasan, Sarker Mohammad Nasrullah, Annalisa Quattrocchi, Pedro Arcos Gonzalez, Rafael Castro Delgado
Summary: Hospitals' medical surge preparedness plays a crucial role in reducing mortality rates and treating severe injuries in disasters and emergencies. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of actions taken to strengthen hospitals' surge capacity, aiding in the development of relevant policies and programs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Deborah Horton, Pamela Spigelmyer, Rick Zoucha, Terri Rebmann
Summary: An integrative review was conducted to examine the preparedness of K-12 schools for natural disasters and pandemic events. The review found that schools vary in their level of preparedness, and multiple factors contribute to this. Perceptions of school preparedness for disasters do not align with the actual level of preparedness.
JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Preeya S. Mohan
Summary: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of disaster preparedness and post disaster recovery strategies on the technical efficiency of firms in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The findings suggest that disaster preparedness and post disaster recovery strategies have an influence on technical efficiency.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Kanittha Rattanakanlaya, Achara Sukonthasarn, Suparat Wangsrikhun, Chawapornpan Chanprasit
Summary: The study identified ways to enhance flood disaster preparedness in hospitals, providing strategies for policymakers and health personnel. Hospitals cannot handle unpredictable events alone and require improvements in flood disaster preparedness at national, provincial, and hospital levels. Nursing professionals participate in hospital disaster preparedness and need to be prepared to expand nursing knowledge and improve clinical outcomes through tailored services.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Phatthranit Phattharapornjaroen, Eric Carlstrom, Lina Dahlen Holmqvist, Yuwares Sittichanbuncha, Amir Khorram-Manesh
Summary: According to the concept of flexible surge capacity, hospitals may need to be evacuated in two situations: when exposed to danger, such as war, and when contaminated, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the extent of hospital evacuation preparedness in Thailand and found glitches in evacuation protocols, surge planning, multiagency collaboration, and community capabilities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tara N. Heagele, Charleen C. McNeill, Lavonne M. Adams, Danita M. Alfred
Summary: This research aimed to establish a consensus among experts on the concept of household emergency preparedness and develop a 51-question instrument to assess household readiness for disasters. The results provide a replicable approach for researchers to evaluate preparedness levels, which can be used to plan mitigation strategies, enhance health promotion, prevent injuries, and increase resilience for individuals and communities in the aftermath of disasters.
DISASTER MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
SungJoon Park, Joo Jeong, Kyoung Jun Song, Young-Hoon Yoon, Jaehoon Oh, Eui Jung Lee, Ki Jeong Hong, Jae Hee Lee
Summary: This study investigated the surge capacity and disaster preparedness of all regional and local emergency medical centers in Seoul, finding that these centers can accommodate a specific number of emergency and non-emergency patients in crisis conditions. The study also found significant differences in surge capacity between ordinary and crisis conditions, with only the total number of hospital beds being significantly associated with surge capacity in both scenarios.
JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2021)