Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T01:31:44.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Planning for Resilience in Hospital Internal Disaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Ernest Sternberg
Ernest Sternberg*
Affiliation:
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York USA
*
Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Hayes Hall, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214 USA, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article seeks to clarify the terminology and methods of planning to avert hospital internal disaster. It differentiates “crisis” from “disaster” in the in-hospital setting. Preparedness, as contrasted with mitigation, is meant to reduce the likelihood that a crisis will turn into a disaster. Though there are some recurring features of crises, allowing for preparedness through the identification of a few high-likelihood contingencies, crises are subject to numerous, overwhelming uncertainties. These include hazard uncertainty, incident uncertainty, sequential uncertainty, informational uncertainty, consequential uncertainty, cascade uncertainty, organizational uncertainty, and background uncertainty. In view of the uncertainties, the primary aim of planners should not be to try to create plans for ever more contingencies, since contingencies are far too numerous and perhapsapproach infinity, but rather to create capabilities (through proper preparedness) for resilience during crisis. Resilience can be cultivated through improvements in information acquisition and dissemination, communication systems, resource management, mobility management, design for resilience, incident command, and staff versatility.

Keywords

contingenciescrisisdisastereventhazardshospitalincident command systeminternal disasterplanningpreparednessresilienceresource managementriskstrategiesuncertaintiesversatility
Type
Special Reports
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 291 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Milsten, A: Hospital responses to acute-onset disasters: A review. Prehosp Disast Med 2000:15(1):32–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Auf der Heide, E: Disaster Response: Principles of Preparation and Coordination. St. Louis, MO: CV Mosby, 1989, pp 34–35.Google Scholar
3. Sternberg, E, Lee, GC, Huard, D: “Counting crises: U. S. hospital evacuations 1971–1999,” Buffalo, NY: Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, 2003 (manuscript).Google Scholar
4. Ahrens, M: Selections from the US fire problem overview report: Leading causes andother patterns and trends, facilities that care for the sick. National Fire Protection Association, June 2001.Google Scholar
5. Pan American Health Organization: Principles of Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities 2000: Washington, DC: Pan American Health Organization, pp 14–17.Google Scholar
6. Barbera, JA, Macintyre, AG, De Atley, CA: Ambulances to nowhere: America's critical shortfall in medical preparedness for catastrophic terrorism. Journal of Homeland Security. 2002 (March): Available at www.home-landsecurity.org/journal/articles. Accessed 12 June 2003.Google Scholar
7. Arnold, JL: Disaster medicine in the 21st century: Future hazards, vulnerabilities, and risk. Prehosp Disast Med 2002;17(1):3–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Treat, KN, Williams, JM, Furbee, PM, et al: Hospital preparedness for weapons of mass destruction incidents: An initial assessment. Ann Emerg Med 2001;38:562–565.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Aghababian, RC, Lewis, P, Gans, L, and Curley, FJ: Disasters within hospitals. AnnEmerg Med 1994:23(4):771–777.Google ScholarPubMed
10. Auf der Heide, E: Disaster planning, Part II: Disaster problems, issues, and challenges identified in the research literature. Emerg Med Clin N Amer. 1996;14(2):453–480.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Hood, C, Jones, DKC: Accident and Design: Contemporary Debates in Risk Management. London: UCL Press. 1996.Google Scholar
12. Tierney, KJ, Lindell, MK, Perry, RW: Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 2001.Google Scholar
13. Siders, C, Jacobson, R: Flood disaster preparedness: A retrospect from Grand Forks, North Dakota. Journal of Healthcare Risk Management 1998 (Spring): 33–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Buchanan, D, Freeman, C: Statewide Disaster Medical Standards Development Project:Final Report. Modesto, CA: Mountain Valley Emergency Services Agency, 21 Augus, 2000. Available at www.mvemsa.com. Accessed 12 June 2003.Google Scholar
15. Special Issue: Emergency management in the new millenium. Joint Commission Perspectives 2001;21(12);4–23.Google Scholar
16. Sullivan, E: Life safety in the perianesthesia care environment: Planning for internal disasters. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing 2000;15(3);177–179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. Franck, L, Epstein, B, Adams, S: Disaster preparedness for the ICN: Evolution and testing of one unit's plan. Pediatric Nursing 1993;19(2):122–127.Google ScholarPubMed
18. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections: Mass Casualty Disaster PlanChecklist: A Template for Healthcare Facilities. Revised Draft. St Louis, MO: Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections. 01 October 2001. Available at www.apic.org. Accessed 12 June 2003.Google Scholar
19. Parsons, S: Qualitative Methods for Reasoning under Uncertainty. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001, pp 7–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Sewer Backup Closes, Contaminates Hospital. The Seattle Times 02 May 1997, B2.Google Scholar
21. English, N: St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 22 September 1994, p 1B.Google Scholar
22. Chemical Spill Causes Hospital Evacuation. Los Angeles Times 05 January 1989, p 2.Google Scholar
23. Sullivan, KN: Toxic Gas Leak Causes Hospital Evacuation. Forth Worth Start-Telegram. 13 February 1991, p 1.Google Scholar
24. Borondy, K: Chemical Spill Forces Newark Hospital Evacuation. Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ) 13 May 1999, p 25.Google Scholar
25. White, M: The Arizona Republic 09 February 1993, p A1.Google Scholar
26. Gun Terror at Hospital in Utah City. San Diego Union-Tribune. 21 September 1991, p A1.Google Scholar
27. Blumhagen, DW: Evacuation of patients during a fire at a general hospital. AnnEmerg Med 1987;16(2):209–215.Google ScholarPubMed
28. Lippman, H: When the disaster drill is for real. RN 1992;9.Google ScholarPubMed
29. Personett, JD: Earthquake! Nursing Management 1994;25(8):58–62.Google ScholarPubMed
30. Shinozuka, M, Grigoriu, M, Ingraffea, AR, et al: Development of fragility information for structures and nonstructural components. Research Progress and Accomplishments 1999–2000. Buffalo, NY: Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, 2000, pp 15–32.Google Scholar
31. Seismic Safety Commission: Northridge Earthquake, January 17, 1994: The Hospital Response. Sacramento, CA: Seismic Safety Commission (SSC 94–11). 1994.Google Scholar
32. Reitherman, R: How to prepare a hospital for an earthquake. J Emerg Med 1986:4;119–131.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33. Reed, M: Disaster preparedness pays off. Journal of Nursing Administration 1998;28(6):25–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34. Cloutier, RJ, Greenwood, J, Malawski, JR, Tremblay, KP: Disaster planning: St. Boniface General Hospital, A case study of the flood of the Century. Hospital Quarterly 1997/1998;1(2):32–37.Google ScholarPubMed
35. Weisman, E: Disaster preparedness. Health Facilities Management. 1994(May);18–25.Google ScholarPubMed
36. Sheley, E: The 1997 floods: Evacuation and recovery. Balance [American College of Health Care Administrators] 1998;( June):12–15.Google ScholarPubMed
37. National Interagency Fire Center: Incident Command System. National Training Curriculum Module 1: ICS Orientation. Boise, Idaho: National Interagency Fire Center, October 1994.Google Scholar
38. Crichton, M, Flin, R: Training for emergency management: Tactical decision games. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2001;88(2–3):255–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed