Pandemic influenza and major disease outbreak preparedness in US emergency departments: a survey of medical directors and department chairs.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the readiness of individual academic emergency departments (EDs) in the United States for an outbreak of pandemic influenza. METHODS, DESIGN, AND SETTING: Cross-sectional assessment of influenza pandemic preparedness level of EDs in the United States via survey of medical directors and department chairs from the 135 academic emergency medicine departments in the United States. Preparedness assessed using a novel score of 15 critical preparedness indicators. Data analysis consisted of summary statistics, chi2, and ANOVA.


METHODS
ED medical directors and department chairs.


RESULTS
One hundred and thirty academic emergency medicine departments contacted; 66 (50.4 percent) responded. Approximately half (56.0 percent) stated their ED had a written plan for pandemic influenza response. Mean preparedness score was 7.2 (SD = 4.0) out of 15 (48.0 percent); only one program (1.5 percent) achieved a perfect score. Respondents from programs with larger EDs (= 30 beds) were more likely to have a higher preparedness score (p < 0.035), an ED pandemic preparedness plan (p = 0.004) and a hospital pandemic preparedness plan (p = 0.007). Respondents from programs with larger EDs were more likely to feel that their ED was prepared for a pandemic or other major disease outbreak (p = 0.01). Only one-third (34.0 percent) felt their ED was prepared for a major disease outbreak, and only 27 percent felt their hospital was prepared to respond to a major disease outbreak.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant deficits in preparedness for pandemic influenza and other disease outbreaks exist in US EDs, relative to HHS guidelines, which appear to be related in part to ED size. Further study should be undertaken to determine the barriers to appropriate pandemic preparedness, as well as to develop and validate preparedness metrics.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Melinda J
MJ
Morton
Thomas D
TD
Kirsch
Richard E
RE
Rothman
Marielle M
MM
Byerly
Yu-Hsiang
YH
Hsieh
John G
JG
McManus
Gabor D
GD
Kelen
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008486:Physician Executives; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology