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Assessing Hospital Disaster Readiness Over Time at the US Department of Veterans Affairs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2016

Claudia Der-Martirosian ,
Tiffany A. Radcliff ,
Alicia R. Gable ,
Deborah Riopelle ,
Farhad A. Hagigi ,
Pete Brewster  and
Aram Dobalian
Claudia Der-Martirosian*
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA
Tiffany A. Radcliff
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TexasUSA
Alicia R. Gable
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA
Deborah Riopelle
Affiliation:
VA Health Services Research and Development Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA
Farhad A. Hagigi
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSA Anderson School of Management, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSA
Pete Brewster
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Emergency Management, Martinsburg, West VirginiaUSA
Aram Dobalian
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CaliforniaUSA Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSA School of Nursing, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSA
*
Correspondence: Claudia Der-Martirosian, PhD 16111 Plummer St. MS-152 North Hills, California 91343 USA E-mail: Claudia.Der-Martirosian@va.gov
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Abstract

Introduction

There have been numerous initiatives by government and private organizations to help hospitals become better prepared for major disasters and public health emergencies. This study reports on efforts by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration, Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP) to assess the readiness of VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) across the nation.

Hypothesis/Problem

This study conducts descriptive analyses of preparedness assessments of VAMCs and examines change in hospital readiness over time.

Methods

To assess change, quantitative analyses of data from two phases of preparedness assessments (Phase I: 2008-2010; Phase II: 2011-2013) at 137 VAMCs were conducted using 61 unique capabilities assessed during the two phases. The initial five-point Likert-like scale used to rate each capability was collapsed into a dichotomous variable: “not-developed=0” versus “developed=1.” To describe changes in preparedness over time, four new categories were created from the Phase I and Phase II dichotomous variables: (1) rated developed in both phases; (2) rated not-developed in Phase I but rated developed in Phase II; (3) rated not-developed in both phases; and (4) rated developed in Phase I but rated not- developed in Phase II.

Results

From a total of 61 unique emergency preparedness capabilities, 33 items achieved the desired outcome – they were rated either “developed in both phases” or “became developed” in Phase II for at least 80% of VAMCs. For 14 items, 70%-80% of VAMCs achieved the desired outcome. The remaining 14 items were identified as “low-performing” capabilities, defined as less than 70% of VAMCs achieved the desired outcome.

Conclusion:

Measuring emergency management capabilities is a necessary first step to improving those capabilities. Furthermore, assessing hospital readiness over time and creating robust hospital readiness assessment tools can help hospitals make informed decisions regarding allocation of resources to ensure patient safety, provide timely access to high-quality patient care, and identify best practices in emergency management during and after disasters. Moreover, with some minor modifications, this comprehensive, all-hazards-based, hospital preparedness assessment tool could be adapted for use beyond the VA.

Der-MartirosianC, RadcliffTA, GableAR, RiopelleD, HagigiFA, BrewsterP, DobalianA. Assessing Hospital Disaster Readiness Over Time at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Prehsop Disaster Med. 2017;32(1):46–57.

Keywords

assessmentcapabilitiesdisaster readinessemergency managementhospital preparedness
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 46 - 57
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2016 

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