A framework to evaluate the resilience of hospital networks

Abstract

This paper puts forward as framework to evaluate the resilience of hospital networks. Natural and man-made disasters can lead to significant social, economic and socioeconomic losses. Enhancing the resilience of communities in face of disasters can reduce these losses. Resilience is the ability of a system to resist, absorb and eliminate the effects of a hazard and to resume its performance at the desired level at an acceptable time. The resilience of hospital network in a community is among the most critical factors in reducing the losses caused by disasters. However, in many situations, the failure of one or multiple hospitals in a network reduces the overall capacity of the network, forces the movement of patients from one hospital to another, and leads to significant losses. There is need for an appropriate index that can be utilized in order to evaluate and measure the resilience of hospital network and identify the opportunities for enhancing its resilience. In this paper, a hospital network resilience index is presented. A simulation framework is also introduced in order to measure the resilience of hospital network under uncertainties about the magnitude and consequence of hazard, response of various components of hospitals, and the performance of transportation network and lifelines such as electricity network. The proposed framework can be utilized in order to evaluate the impact of lack of hospital network resilience on its capacity to treat the casualties of a disaster, the movement of patients from one hospital to another as a result of inability of a hospital to provide services, and the subsequent losses.

What is “hospital resilience”? A scoping review on conceptualization, operationalization, and evaluation

“…Studies measured quality predominantly through patient satisfaction and waiting time; emergency department overcrowding was also noted (18, 43-45, 51, 63, 76). According to Ramandi and Kashani, the quality of hospital performance impacts waiting time and the number of deaths; this study measured resilience based on cumulative mortality (76). Hospital admissions were also used to evaluate hospital resilience, with some studies comparing this routinely collected indicator at various points in the response and recovery stages (48, 51).…”

“…Other studies measured hospitals' performance and ultimately resilience through other routinely available data such as overall bed capacity, ICU beds available per catchment population, number of deaths (34,40,41,44,49,51,52,62,76). Additionally, resilient hospitals should also work to improve coverage and accessibility; only one article measured "leaving no one behind" through unmet demand (and waiting times) (39).…”

Integrated the Medical Procedure Analyze Seismic Resilience of Healthcare System: A Critical Review from the Resilience of Healthcare System vs. Medical Demand Perspective

“…Disaster resilience of health systems refers to a hospital's ability to manage and continue to deliver healthcare in the event of an emergency, including the climate recovery phase Ramandi and Kashani [49] 2018…”