Hospital crisis management in the epidemic: A qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the advances in medical science, the epidemic of infectious diseases has faced serious challenges to the health system of countries, so the purpose of this study was to identify obstacles and management strategies to prepare for planning preventive measures and better care in dealing with infectious diseases in hospitals.MethodThe current qualitative research was of the grounded theory type, which was conducted in 2023. The semistructured interview questions were obtained from experts. The initial selection of the sample was made from experts in the field of health and treatment from all over the country. The snowball method was used to increase the sample volume until it reached sufficient Value. After analyzing the data through MAXQDA2020 software, this research reached saturation by interviewing 20 experts.ResultsFour main areas, 15 subthemes, and 93 codes were identified in the management of epidemics, which included leadership and management (planning, physical structure, information management, financial resources, manpower, medicine and equipment, and internal and external coordination), Stewardship (macro policy and syndromic care system), safety and resilience (crisis management and emergency and disaster risk management), management of infectious diseases (instructions, education, infection prevention and control, treatment management).ConclusionThis study presents the strategies of the health system in dealing with the epidemic of infectious diseases to overcome the obstacles and challenges of preparation and response, which can help health managers in designing future programs, and finally, it shows that hospitals should have a plan for resilience in crises.