title: Challenges of Hospital Response to the Twin Earthquakes of August 21, 2012, in East Azerbaijan, Iran.
abstract: As the cornerstone of any health system, hospitals have a crucial role in response to disasters. Because hospital experiences in disaster response can be instructive, this study examined the challenges of hospital response to the twin earthquakes of 2012 in East Azerbaijan, Iran.
  
  
  
  In this qualitative study, the challenges of hospital response in the East Azerbaijan earthquakes were examined through focus group discussions. Participants were selected purposefully, and focus group discussions continued until data saturation. The data were manually analyzed by using Strauss and Corbin's recommended method.
  
  
  
  Hospitals were faced with 6 major challenges: lack of preparedness, lack of coordination, logistic deficiencies, patient/injured management, communication management, and other smaller challenges that were categorized in the "other challenges" category. The main theme was the lack of preparedness for disasters.
  
  
  
  Although hospital preparedness is emphasized in credible references, this study showed that lack of preparedness is a major challenge for hospitals during disasters. Thus, it seems that hospital officials' disaster risk perception and hospital preparedness should be improved. In addition, hospital preparedness assessment indexes should be included in the hospital accreditation process. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:422-430).
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Mahboub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pouraghaei
authors.affiliation: 2Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management and Department of Health Services Management,School of Management and Medical Informatics,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jannati
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moharamzadeh
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghaffarzad
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Moharram Heshmati
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Far
authors.affiliation: 2Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management and Department of Health Services Management,School of Management and Medical Informatics,Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,Tabriz,Iran.
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babaie
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D055866:Earthquakes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004631:Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems / Q000592:standards*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: disaster; earthquake; hospital response