Slack in the infrastructure of intensive care units: resilience management in the post-pandemic era.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although slack is an asset to resilient hospitals, it is usually explicitly discussed only in terms of the quantity and quality of beds and staff. This paper expands this view by addressing slack in four infrastructures of intensive care units (ICUs) (physical space, electricity supply, oxygen supply, and air treatment) during the COVID pandemic.

Methods

The study occurred in a leading private hospital in Brazil, aiming at the identification of slack in four units originally designed as ICUs and two units adapted as ICUs. Data collection was based on 12 interviews with healthcare professionals, documents, and comparison between infrastructures and regulatory requirements.

Results

Twenty-seven instantiations of slack were identified, with several indications

SUBMITTER: Marczyk CES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10241554 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature