Hospital collaboration with public safety organizations on bioterrorism response.
OBJECTIVE
To identify hospital characteristics that predict collaboration with public safety organizations on bioterrorism response plans and mass casualty drills.


METHODS
The 2003 and 2004 Bioterrorism and Mass Casualty Supplements to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey examined collaboration with emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials teams (HAZMAT), fire departments, and law enforcement. The sample included 112 geographic primary sampling units and 1,110 hospitals. Data were weighted by inverse selection probability, to yield nationally representative estimates. Characteristics included residency and medical school affiliation, bed capacity, ownership, urbanicity and Joint Commission accreditation. The response rate was 84.6%. Chi-square analysis was performed with alpha set at p < 0.05. Logistic regression modeling yielded odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.


RESULTS
During a bioterrorism incident, 68.9% of hospitals would contact EMS, 68.7% percent law enforcement, 61.6% fire departments, 58.1% HAZMAT, and 42.8% all four. About 74.2% had staged mass casualty drills with EMS, 70.4% with fire departments, 67.4% with law enforcement, 43.3% with HAZMAT, and 37.0% with all four. Predictors of drilling with some or all of these public safety organizations included larger bed capacity, nonprofit and proprietary ownership, and JCAHO accreditation. Medical school affiliation was a negative predictor of drilling with EMS.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of hospitals involve public safety organizations in their emergency plans or drills. Bed capacity was most predictive of drilling with these organizations. Medical school affiliation was the only characteristic negatively associated with drilling.
Niska
Richard W
RW
The National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, USA. Rniska@cdc.gov
D023482:Bioterrorism; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D016015:Logistic Models; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016495:Police; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States