Hospital emergency management: A programing and profession assessment

Abstract

At a national and international level, governments have advanced all-hazards readiness and implemented disaster management systems within multiple industries, services, and sectors. This scope included public health agencies and healthcare providers, whose roles evolved in purpose and expectation within their respective communities, but their core mission remained unchanged. Real-world emergencies and disasters routinely challenge hospitals and affirm that healthcare providers must be prepared to provide, sustain, and expand critical services during times of crisis. This study reviews emergency management (EM) and disaster preparedness programing specifically within hospitals and healthcare systems to assess overall effectiveness. Analysis includes a review of existing program administration literature and regulatory and accreditation agency standards. Initial findings suggest ongoing efforts are needed nationwide to improve hospital EM capabilities and enhance the resiliency of American healthcare infrastructure. Identified gaps include limitations of pertinent research, inconsistent program evaluation metrics and processes, and hindering perceptions of profession role and purpose. Recommendations are provided to refine the traditional hospital EM profession and advance overall program administration competencies, as well as considerations for future research opportunities.