title: A management plan for hospitals and medical centers facing radiation incidents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nowadays, application of nuclear technology in different industries has largely expanded worldwide. Proportionately, the risk of nuclear incidents and the resulting injuries have, therefore, increased in recent years. Preparedness is an important part of the crisis management cycle; therefore efficient preplanning seems crucial to any crisis management plan. Equipped with facilities and experienced personnel, hospitals naturally engage with the response to disasters. The main purpose of our study was to present a practical management pattern for hospitals and medical centers in case they encounter a nuclear emergency.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive qualitative study, data were collected through experimental observations, sources like Safety manuals released by the International Atomic Energy Agency and interviews with experts to gather their ideas along with Delphi method for polling, and brainstorming. In addition, the 45 experts were interviewed on three targeted using brainstorming and Delphi method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We finally proposed a management plan along with a set of practicality standards for hospitals and medical centers to optimally respond to nuclear medical emergencies when a radiation incident happens nearby.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With respect to the great importance of preparedness against nuclear incidents adoption and regular practice of nuclear crisis management codes for hospitals and medical centers seems quite necessary.
authors.affiliation: Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Davari
authors.affiliation: Vice-chancellery for Research and Technology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zahed
keywords: Crisis management; disasters; hospital management; nuclear incidents; preparedness for incidents