Although hospital emergency preparedness efforts have been recognized as important, there has been growing pressure on cost containment, as well as consolidation within the US health care system. There is little data looking at what health care emergency preparedness functions have been, could be, or should be centrally coordinated at a system level.

We developed a questionnaire for academic health systems and asked about program funding, resources provided, governance, and activities. The questionnaire also queried managers’ opinions regarding the appropriate role for the system-level resources in emergency response, as well as about what is most helpful at the system-level supporting preparedness.

Fifty-two of 97 systems (54%) responded. The most frequently occurring system-wide activities included: creating trainings or exercise templates (75%), promoting preparedness for employees in the system (75%), providing access to specific subject matter experts (73%), and developing specific plans for individual member entities within their system (73%). The top resources provided included a common mass notification system (71%), arranging for centralized contracts for goods and services (71%), and providing subject matter expertise (69%).

Currently, there is wide variation in the resources, capabilities, and programs used to support and coordinate system-level emergency preparedness among academic health systems. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:574–577)

Little is known about how flood risk of health-care facilities (HCFs) is evaluated by emergency preparedness professionals and HCFs administrators. This study assessed knowledge of emergency preparedness and HCF management professionals regarding locations of floodplains in relation to HCFs. A Web-based interactive map of floodplains and HCF was developed and users of the map were asked to evaluate it.

An online survey was completed by administrators of HCFs and public health emergency preparedness professionals in Illinois, before and after an interactive online map of floodplains and HCFs was provided.

Forty Illinois HCFs located in floodplains were identified, including 12 long-term care facilities. Preparedness professionals have limited knowledge of whether local HCFs were in floodplains, and few reported availability of geographic information system (GIS) resources at baseline. Respondents intended to use the interactive map for planning and stakeholder communications.

Given that HCFs are located in floodplains, this first assessment of using interactive maps of floodplains and HCFs may promote a shift to reliable data sources of floodplain locations in relation to HCFs. Similar approaches may be useful in other settings.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for skin problems among flood victims and army personnel during the 2011 floods in Thailand.

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for skin symptoms, standardized questionnaires were used to collect demographic data, current skin symptoms, history of water exposure, and sanitary behaviors. A certified dermatologist evaluated those who presented with skin problems and provided diagnoses. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess independent risk factors for skin symptoms.

The most prevalent skin disease was irritant contact dermatitis. Flood victims showed a higher prevalence of skin symptoms compared with army personnel. Development of skin symptoms after exposure to floodwater was also observed earlier among flood victims. Having a history of skin diseases and delayed skin cleaning after exposure were also significant risk factors for the development of skin symptoms.

This information might be used as guidelines for protecting military personnel and to educate the general public regarding flood disaster management. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:570–575)

To assess Liberian health care workers’ feelings around safety in returning to work in the setting of the Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014–2015 after receiving infection prevention and control (IPC) training.

Academic Consortium Combating Ebola in Liberia (ACCEL) training surveys were done at 21 public, Liberian hospitals to understand health care workers’ attitudes surrounding Ebola and whether they felt safe while at work based on multiple factors. Logistic regression was used for analysis.

We found that health care workers feeling safe at work during the Ebola outbreak was primarily predicted by the number of IPC/Ebola trainings received pre-ACCEL interventions. Health care workers felt increasingly safer and motivated to return to work as trainings approached 3 (OR 8, p-value < 0.001); however, more than 3 trainings resulted in decreased safety and motivation. In addition, health care workers who reported washing their hands before and after patient contact were 3.4 times more likely to understand how to protect themselves from Ebola.

These results help to better understand the utility of repeated trainings on health care worker practice attitudes and the importance of IPC policies within hospitals, such as hand hygiene promotion and education, when coordinating humanitarian efforts.

This study sought to understand factors related to weather-related disaster survivors’ health information and mental health-care–seeking behaviors.

In November 2017, we conducted a quantitative survey of 170 Gulf Coast residents who experienced weather-related disasters. The survey assessed how individual and psychosocial factors affect health-care–seeking behavior.

Nearly 66% of participants reported a high frequency of depression and/or anxiety symptoms, yet only 39% saw a medical professional. Of participants who visited a medical professional, 76% sought information from nonmedical sources. Seeking medical care was strongly correlated with seeking information from nonmedical sources and previous healthcare experiences, but not with fear and stigma.

Positive communication and strong support systems have the potential to mitigate the reluctance people have in seeking help for mental health problems. Although it is discouraging that few people seek professional care, it is promising that participants were not avoiding care due to fear of being stigmatized. Less opposition to mental health care by survivors offers opportunity for mental health professionals to treat the psychological problems survivors experience. Providing necessary information may make headway to mental health care where it is greatly needed.

This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at its early stages is associated with people’s perception of their health, the need for health-care services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health.

The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services.

Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic’s early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand use patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients’ care-seeking behavior.

Describe the lived experience of a grassroots, non-governmental disaster medical team (DMT) through a research lens and share practical lessons learned, based on the DMT’s experience to support and inform future response teams.

Forty-five days after Hurricane Maria, a non-governmental DMT provided primary medical care via community based pop-up clinics and home visitations in 5 different areas of Puerto Rico. Observational data, photo images, and debriefing notes were collected and documented in the response team’s daily activity log. Field notes were coded using a descriptive coding method and then categorized into 2 domains specific to public health and medical diagnosis.

Medical aid was provided to nearly 300 (N = 296) residents. Field note observations identified exhaustion related to living conditions and the exacerbation of underlying conditions such as reactive airway diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and depression due to the compounding effects of multiple post-disaster triggers. During home visitations, feelings of sadness and helplessness were identified secondary to natural disaster trauma and current living conditions.

Our non-governmental DMT displayed similar characteristics demonstrated by federal DMTs post natural disaster. A number of strategic lessons learned emerged from the public health intervention important to future non-governmental DMTs.

According to a WHO report, the number of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reached 456,797,217 worldwide as of 15 March, 2022. In Wuhan, China, large teams of health-care personnel were dispatched to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic and psychological predictors of resilience among frontline nurses fighting the current pandemic.

A total of 143 nurses were recruited from February 15 to February 20, 2020, to participate in this study. The 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used to estimate the participants’ resilience and mental wellbeing.

Results showed that the nurses displayed a moderate resilience level. Their median depression, anxiety, and stress scores were 1, 2, and 3, respectively, which were negatively correlated with resilience. Female gender, being dispatched to Wuhan, and depression levels were the significant predictors of resilience.

The results suggest that particular attention should be given to nurses who were dispatched to Wuhan and who exhibited depression symptoms, and appropriate measures should be taken to boost their resilience.

The objective of this research is to identify sociodemographic predictors of depression for a rural population in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance mental health disaster preparedness.

This study uses t-tests to differentiate between gender and ethnicity groups regarding depression status; binary logistic regression to identify socio-demographic characteristics that predict depression status; and t-test to differentiate between average depression scores, measured by the PHQ-9, pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2019) and after it’s start (2020).

Results indicate that men were less likely than women to report depression. Clients who identified as Latinx/Hispanic were 2.8 times more likely than non-Hispanics to report depression and clients who did not reside in public housing were 19.9% less likely to report depression. There was a statistically significant difference between mean PHQ-9 scores pre- and post-pandemic, with pre-pandemic scores lower on average, with a small effect size.

Building on findings from this study, we propose ways to increase rural access to mental health services, through equitable access to telemedicine, to meet the needs of rural clients to increase disaster preparedness.

India, a developing country, was hit hard by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, having reached the second position in the ranking of countries with the highest number of cases.

After reaching the peak of the pandemic in September 2020, the daily number of new cases due to the disease inexplicably began to decrease, despite the relaxation and non-compliance with the restriction measures. However, since March 2021, there has been a steady increase in the number of cases reported, signaling a very devastating second wave.

The collapse of the Administration, collapsing of the health-care system, and insufficient vaccinations are the major causes of this condition. Understanding the factors involved and the sequence of events that led to the flattening of the contagion curve in India during the ending of 2020 is also essential, since it can helped guide the next steps in the fight against the virus.

Contributing a greater percentage of gross domestic product toward health care seems to be the way to go as the ultimate strategy for curtailing the second wave. The advantages India has over the first wave, vaccines and a year of experience with the disease, should not be overlooked and used to its maximum in fighting against this pandemic.

Crises require a timely and well-prepared response by health services, especially those that are directly engaged with the lives of the patients such as blood services. The Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization as a single national authority of blood transfusion has left many crises behind. In this study, we examined the main international crises that the blood transfusion organization has faced during its 44-year history and objectively evaluated the methods for crisis risk reduction, both administrative and operational, all of which have led to fundamental advances in the organization. By proper planning and effective strategy setting, the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization has managed to cope with international threats and in some cases has turned threats into opportunities to implement new, permanent administrative and operational strategies. It is not prudent for blood transfusion centers to develop their disaster risk reduction strategies on an individual-country basis in a world where global risk and crisis factors are rapidly increasing. Reduction of risk for blood transfusion centers must become a strategic priority nationally and globally. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:410-413)