Comprehensive indicator system for evaluating hospital’s capacities in public health emergency preparedness

Objective To establish a evaluation model and an indicator system for evaluating hospital's capacities in public health emergency preparedness.Methods Based on the literature review,an indicator system framework was developed and a questionnaire was designed to survey the status of hospitals' capacities in public health emergency preparedness at 153 secondary-and tertiary-care hospitals in Beijing.According to the survey results,a evaluation model of capacities in public health emergency preparedness was developed using the factor analysis.Results An indicator system framework for evaluating hospitals' capacities includes 13 domains:command and coordination mechanism,public health emergency preparedness plan,surveillance and early warning,laboratory management and diagnosis,information reporting and communication,human resource for emergency,hospital beds for emergency,drug stockpile,medical treatment procedures,disinfection and sterilization,personal protective equipment stockpile,other materials stockpile,and staff training.It indicated that the 13 domains had good internal consistency(Cronbach alpha=0.968).Among the work of public health emergency preparedness athospitals,the most important was the capacity of detection and recognition of public health emergencies(weight value=0.526),the rests were the software of medical emergency care(weight value=0.159),the hardware of medical emergency care(weight value=0.121),the leaders' consciousness of emergency response(weight value=0.108),and the material stockpile(weight value=0.086).Conclusion The indicator system framework and evaluation model developed can evaluate the hospital's capacities in public health emergency preparedness comprehensively,and ithas better reliability.