An Assessment of Hospital Preparedness for Emergency, Outline Example

Title: An Assessment of Hospital Preparedness for Emergency Response in the United States

Abstract: Objective—This report summarizes the state of hospital preparedness, specifically as it relates to public health emergencies, like disease epidemics and mass casualties.

Introduction

In response to the 2001 World Trade Center attack, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), now provided funding to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to run surveys on hospitals to assess preparedness in servicing patients who are victims of bioterrorism attacks, or incidents of ass casualty. Likewise, Mass Casualty and Bioterrorism Preparedness Supplements were added in 2003 and 2004 to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NHAMCS). This section will include those findings.

Body

Emergency response plans

Plans for components of hospital preparedness

• Expansion of on-site surge capacity –This section reviews data on alternative resources used by hospitals when main resources are temporarily down, or departments are over capacity.
• Special populations –The plans hospitals have in place for dealing with special needs patients, such as non-English speakers, mobility impaired, deaf etc…
• Cooperative planning—This section covers data regarding cooperative planning between hospitals and other entities in case of emergenvy reposne.

Communication

• Regional Communication System—This section covers data regarding emergency communication procedures.

Mass Casualty

Internal mass casualty drills, simulations, or exercises within hospitals.

External mass casualty drills, simulations, or exercises outside hospitals.

Types of scenarios in mass casualty drills. This section covers the types of scenarios in mass casualty drills.

Mass Casualty Resources

• Mass casualty management–This section covers the procedures and resources involved in managing mass casualties.
• Collaboration with outside organizations on mass casualty drills.
• Pediatrics—This section covers hospital procedures for handling children, such as tracking systems for accompanied and unaccompanied children, pediatric surge capacities, providing shelter, and resources for reunification of children with their families etc…

Hospital Preparedness Funding

• Financial Resources—Available funding for Hospitla Preparedness
• Priorty Setting for Limited Resources—Funding allocations for weak areas.
• Mutual Aid Agreements—Agreements between hospitals and external agencies to share supplies.

Empirical Evidence : Graphs, Charts, Tables and other Data

Discussion

Conclusion

References

Mehta, S. (2006). Disaster and mass casualty management in a hospital: How well are we prepared? Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, 52(2), 89-90.

Meyers, S. (2006, February). Disaster Preparedness: Hospitals Confront the Challenge. Trustee, 59(2), 12-19.

Niska, R. W., & Shimizu, I. M. (2011). Hospital preparedness for emergency response: United States, 2008. National Health Statistics Reports,

Paturas, J., Smith, D., Smith, S., & Albanese, J. (2010). Collective response to public health emergencies and large-scale disasters: Putting hospitals at the core of community resilience. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 4(3), 286-295.