title: Prerequisites of preparedness against earthquake in hospital system: a survey from Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering the history of frequent, and severe, earthquakes in Iran and the importance of health care service delivery by hospitals in these cases, having a plan to deal with disasters should be considered a priority. The aim of this study was the observance of preparedness prerequisites against earthquake in hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS) and its relationship with demographic and organizational characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross- sectional study that was conducted in 15 hospitals affiliated with SBUMS, Iran in 2012. Data were collected using observation of documents and questionnaire consists of 138 questions in 8 dimensions. The content validity and reliability were confirmed. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistic, t-test and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that 86.7% of hospitals were in good preparedness level, with the average 85.9 ± 15.5. The maximum and minimum level of preparedness was related to mitigation of construction hazards (56.6 ± 35.6) and support of vital services (97.2 ± 6.0) dimensions, respectively. According to the results, there was a significant statistical difference between mean preparedness and safety of equipment and hazardous materials, hospital evacuation and field treatment, hospital environmental health proceedings, hospital curriculum programs and support of services dimensions with management experience (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although results corroborate that preparedness prerequisites against earthquake are in good level but attention to the weaknesses mitigation of construction hazards dimension and strengthening these prerequisites, which have obvious impacts on the structural vulnerability of hospitals and adjacent buildings in earthquakes, have been proposed.
authors.forename: Sayyed Morteza
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hosseini Shokouh
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anjomshoa
authors.forename: Seyyed Meysam
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Health Management and Economics Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. jamil.sadeghifar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadeghifar
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Armoun
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezapour
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arab
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004189:Disaster Planning; D055866:Earthquakes; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires