Barriers and Enablers to Using an Emergency Operations Center in Public Health Emergency Management: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the role of public health emergency operations centers in recent public health emergencies and to identify the barriers and enablers influencing the effective use of a public health emergency operations center (PHEOC) in public health emergency management. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in 5 databases and selected grey literature websites. Results: Forty-two articles, consisting of 28 peer-reviewed studies and 14 grey literature sources matched the inclusion criteria. Results suggest that PHEOCs are used to prepare and respond to a range of public health emergencies, including coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Factors found to influence the use of a PHEOC include the adoption of an incident management system, internal and external communications, data management, workforce capacity, and physical infrastructure. Conclusions: PHEOCs play an important role in public health emergency management. This review identified several barriers and enablers to using a PHEOC in public health emergency management. Future research should focus on addressing the barriers to using a PHEOC and looking at ways to evaluate the impact of using a PHEOC on public health emergency outcomes.

Common domains of nurses’ competencies in public health emergencies: a scoping review

“…A public health emergency is defined as the occurrence or imminent threat of a disease or health condition (e.g., an infectious disease or bioterrorist attack) that poses a significant risk of death, injury or long-term or permanent disability in a large number of people [ 1 ]. A public health emergency has the potential to cause large numbers of deaths in a short period of time, with devastating social, economic and health consequences [ 2 ]. It challenges the preparedness and capacity for responses by governments, hospitals, clinics, public health institutions and academic researchers [ 3 ].…”

Exploring the Emergency Response Capacity of Grassroots Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Jiangxi Province: A Qualitative Study

“…Hence, it is crucial to increase the nancial allocation to grassroots CDCs and improve the performance evaluation mechanisms [7] . According to Guo Yufen, a National People's Congress deputy and Gansu Provincial Health Commission director, a " rst-class guarantee, second-class management" system should be implemented for CDCs.…”

“…Public health emergencies are characterized by their suddenness, unpredictability, widespread, and diverse causes [7] .In the face of public health emergencies, the timely and effective measures to respond is very important, which including the monitoring and early warning mechanism to detect and control the spread of the epidemic as early as possible and the improved ability to prepare for and respond to the health emergency [8] .Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, China has dedicated signi cant human resources, nancial resources, and materials to establish a robust and e cient public health system [9] . In China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) serve as the foundation of the public health system and play a central role in disease prevention and control [10,11] .…”

“…The development of emergency response capabilities in grassroots CDCs has recently gained signi cant attention both domestically and internationally [7,8,16,17] . For instance, Lv et al identi ed the inadequate health infrastructure and a paucity of technical expertise in the grassroots CDCs in Shenzhen [14] .…”