title: The performance-level model of hospital decontamination preparedness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Describe a multilevel model of decontamination capacity for hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute care hospitals with decontamination responsibilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This multilevel model of defining decontamination capacity would allow more realistic assessment of current capacity, allow for fluctuating service levels depending on time of day, incorporate realistic ramp-up and ramp-down of decontamination services, allow for a defined fall-back decontamination model should decontamination processes fail, allow hospitals to define long-term decontamination service level goals, and allow better understanding of when and why to focus on low-risk/low-resource patients rather than high-risk/high-resource patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This multiple-level model would allow for more realistic and effective hospital-based decontamination service models and should become part of the national decontamination paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, USA.
authors.forename: Scot
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: Garrett
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doering
mesh_terms: D003666:Decontamination / Q000592:standards*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D023481:Terrorism