Assessment of a Military Hospital’s Disaster Preparedness Using a Health Incident Command System

Abstract

Background: A hospital emergency incident command system is one of the most reliable and popular organizational methods for disaster and emergency management. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the level of disaster preparedness in the emergency department and other selected units of a military hospital in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 and involved 97medical staffmembers from various departments: emergency, management, discharge and transport, camp (security and staff), information and communication technology, training, reception, and human resources. Three instruments were used for data collection: a self-reported questionnaire, unit evaluation checklist, and maneuver evaluation checklist. Results: The overall mean score for the maneuver checklist was 55.5%. The mean (±standard deviation) score for the questionnaire was 42.02±8.62. The unit evaluation checklist had a score of 165 from a total of 244 possible points and amean percentage of 67.62%. After conducting the maneuver, the hospital staff was reported to have weak performance in evaluating and prioritizing patients for quick release and tracking their conditions. Conclusions: The present study shows that the selected hospital had a moderate level of preparedness, which is in line with the previous studies. It is recommended that future studies evaluate the effect of education on the disaster preparedness of hospital units