TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategies to Strengthen Hospital Response for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Incident
T2 - A Multisite Study
AU - MacKie, Benjamin
AU - Weber, Sarah
AU - Mitchell, Marion
AU - Hammad, Karen
AU - Wong, Diana F.
AU - Crilly, Julia
AU - Boyd, Matthew
AU - Wullschleger, Martin
AU - Ranse, Jamie
PY - 2024/11/28
Y1 - 2024/11/28
N2 - Objectives In responding to a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear explosive (CBRNe) disaster, clinical leaders have important decision-making responsibilities which include implementing hospital disaster protocols or incident command systems, managing staffing, and allocating resources. Despite emergency care clinical leaders' integral role, there is minimal literature regarding the strategies they may use during CBRNe disasters. The aim of this study was to explore emergency care clinical leaders' strategies related to managing patients following a CBRNe disaster. Methods Focus groups across 5 tertiary hospitals and 1 rural hospital in Queensland, Australia. Thirty-six hospital clinical leaders from the 6 study sites crucial to hospital disaster response participated in 6 focus groups undertaken between February and May 2021 that explored strategies and decision making to optimize patient care following a CBRNe disaster. Results Analysis revealed the use of rehearsals, adopting new models of care, enacting current surge management processes, and applying organization lessons were facilitating strategies. Barriers to management were identified, including resource constraints and sites operating over capacity. Conclusions Enhanced education and training of clinical leaders, flexible models of care, and existing established processes and tested frameworks could strengthen a hospital's response when managing patients following a CBRNe disaster.
AB - Objectives In responding to a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear explosive (CBRNe) disaster, clinical leaders have important decision-making responsibilities which include implementing hospital disaster protocols or incident command systems, managing staffing, and allocating resources. Despite emergency care clinical leaders' integral role, there is minimal literature regarding the strategies they may use during CBRNe disasters. The aim of this study was to explore emergency care clinical leaders' strategies related to managing patients following a CBRNe disaster. Methods Focus groups across 5 tertiary hospitals and 1 rural hospital in Queensland, Australia. Thirty-six hospital clinical leaders from the 6 study sites crucial to hospital disaster response participated in 6 focus groups undertaken between February and May 2021 that explored strategies and decision making to optimize patient care following a CBRNe disaster. Results Analysis revealed the use of rehearsals, adopting new models of care, enacting current surge management processes, and applying organization lessons were facilitating strategies. Barriers to management were identified, including resource constraints and sites operating over capacity. Conclusions Enhanced education and training of clinical leaders, flexible models of care, and existing established processes and tested frameworks could strengthen a hospital's response when managing patients following a CBRNe disaster.
KW - CBRNe
KW - disaster
KW - emergency departments
KW - focus groups
KW - hospital preparedness/response
KW - organizational learning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85210752706&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/dmp.2024.151
DO - 10.1017/dmp.2024.151
M3 - Article
C2 - 39604294
AN - SCOPUS:85210752706
SN - 1935-7893
VL - 18
JO - Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
JF - Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
M1 - e292
ER -