Rural hospital incident command leaders' perceptions of disaster preparedness.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent trends indicate that the frequency of major incidents (MIs) is increasing. Healthcare systems are vital actors in societies' responses to MIs. Well-prepared healthcare systems may mitigate the effects of MIs. Disaster preparedness is based on region-specific risk and vulnerability analyses (RVAs). Hospital incident command groups (HICGs) are commonly formed per hospital's contingency plan MI to aid in disaster response. Acquiring situational awareness and decision-making in the face of uncertainty are known challenges for HICGs during MIs. However, the remoteness of rural hospitals presents unique challenges.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore HICG leaders' perceptions of disaster preparedness in rural hospitals.

Methods

A qualitative study wit

SUBMITTER: Murphy JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11921675 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature