title: Hospital disaster preparedness in Switzerland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospital preparedness is an essential component of any developed health care system. However, there is no national legislation in Switzerland. The objective of this inquiry was to establish the geographic distribution, availability and characteristics of hospital preparedness across Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire regarding hospital preparedness in 2006 was addressed to all heads responsible for emergency departments (ED). The survey was initiated in 2007 and finalised in 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 138 ED, 122 (88%) returned the survey. Eighty nine EDs (82%) had a disaster plan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study identified an insufficient rate of hospitals in which emergency physicians reported a disaster plan. The lack of national or cantonal legislation regulating disaster preparedness may be partially responsible for this.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medical Services, State of Vaud (Fondation Urgences-Santé), Lausanne, Switzerland, and Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dami
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yersin
authors.affiliation: Centre informatique, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexandre H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hirzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hugli
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D013557:Switzerland