title: Business continuity and pandemic preparedness: US health care versus non-health care agencies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Only limited data are available on US business continuity activities related to biologic events.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was administered to human resource professionals during May-July 2011 to assess business continuity related to biologic events, incentives businesses are providing to maximize worker surge capacity, and seasonal influenza vaccination policy. Linear regressions were used to describe factors associated with higher business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores. The χ(2) and Fisher exact tests compared health care versus non-health care businesses on preparedness indicators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Possible business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores ranged from 0.5 to 27 and 0 to 15, with average resulting scores among participants at 13.2 and 7.3, respectively. Determinants of business continuity and pandemic preparedness were (1) business size (larger businesses were more prepared), (2) type of business (health care more prepared), (3) having human resource professional as company disaster planning committee member, and (4) risk perception of a pandemic in the next year. Most businesses (63.3%, n = 298) encourage staff influenza vaccination; 2.1% (n = 10) mandate it. Only 10% of businesses (11.0%, n = 52) provide employee incentives, and fewer than half (41.0%, n = 193) stockpile personal protective equipment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the recent H1N1 pandemic, many US businesses lack adequate pandemic plans. It is critical that businesses of all sizes and types become better prepared for a biologic event.
authors: Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Institute of Biosecurity, Saint Louis University, School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. rebmannt@slu.edu
authors: Terri
authors: T
authors: Rebmann
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Zachary
authors: Z
authors: Swick
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Reddick
authors: John Leon
authors: JL
authors: delRosario
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003132:Commerce; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines