Providing a Chemical Events and Threat’s Preparedness Model for Hospitals in the Country: A Qualitative Study

Iran always exposed many chemical events and threats. Although, chemical events not common, they cause widespread and severe casualties. Hospital preparedness for these events has an important role in reduced morbidity and mortality. This study has attempted to develop a comprehensive and operational model of hospital preparedness against chemical events and threats in order to address existing challenges in hospitals and to fill the gaps.

A qualitative approach was used to identify the dimensions and factors affecting hospital preparedness and through content analysis, 37 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with managers, experts and victims of chemical disasters were analyzed. In the third stage, the extracted components from the previous stage were presented as initial model and validated by Delphi method. Finally, after validation of the initial model, the final model was explained and presented.

Qualitative study findings included 9 themes: hospital risk assessment, management and organization, human resource empowerment, law, coordination and communication, documenting and recording, socio-cultural origins, hospital contamination, and challenges. Each of these themes had several categories and sub-categories. Following a Delphi step, all questions reached a percentage of agreement above 75%. Drawing the relationships of the final extracted themes formed the initial conceptual model of hospital preparedness against chemical events and threats.

The present study showed that a model-based preparedness plan should be designed based on hospital capacities, hospital preparing level, up to date knowledge, personal protective equipment and adequate decontamination. Avoiding Security chemical events and raising the risk perception of managers, officials, and people will provide the basis for hospital preparedness. Followed by reduced the various undesirable consequences of chemical accidents.