# Presentation: 008561

## Emergency Planning and Preparedness 

**Howard W. Levitin, M.D., FACEP**
**Emergency Physician and Consultant**
**Disaster Planning International**

**Sue Losch Skidmore, R.N., B.S.N.**
**Associate**
**Booz Allen Hamilton**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire: Phase One Findings

**Readiness efforts occurring independently**
**No nationally accepted measures of preparedness**
**Staffing**
**Treatment capacity**
**Stockpiling of resources**
**Communications**
**Security**
**Mass Prophylaxis & vaccination**
**Bed utilization**
**Emergency department overcrowding**
**Emergency medical services**
**Administrative support is key to readiness**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire: Phase Two

**The first questionnaire was revised to include:**
**issues related to regional health care facilities/systems bioterrorism preparedness **
**objective measures that users need to interpret the results of the questionnaire**
**best practices**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire: Historically

**No evidence that the data gathered predicts preparedness**
**No established measures of bioterrorism preparedness**
**No generally accepted scenario to base preparedness**
**Most assessment tools have not been evaluated for validity**
**Most assessment tools have not obtained national buy-in**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire: Validity

**Pooled 12 of the leading assessment tools **
**Each question rated by expert panel on relevance/pertinence**
**Working group reviewed all findings**

**JCAHO**
**MD Department of Health & Mental Hygiene**
**Inova Health System**
**University of Texas **
**DC Hospital Association**
**Delaware Division of Public Health**
**PA Department of Public Health**
**IL Department of Public Health **
**Vanderbilt University**

**Utilized the expertise of The Myers Group – a national survey & market research firm**

**NJ Department of Health & Senior Services**
**Baltimore City Health Department**
**Battelle**
**Booz Allen Hamilton**
**Disaster Planning International **
**University of Maryland**
**University of West Virginia**
**Emory University**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire:  Design Criteria

**Issues under the direct responsibility &control of hospital leadership**
**Unique response requirements of a bioterrorism event only**
**Regional issues that only involve hospital participation & roles**
**Questions will be designed for benchmarking purposes**
**Must be relevant to preparedness & capacity**
**Each question must be tied to objective measures of readiness**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire:  Focus

**Regional linkages**
**Bioterrorism planning & structure**
**Training & exercise**
**Triage, diagnosis & treatment**
**Infection control, decontamination & isolation**
**Public health surveillance**

**Surge capacity & space utilization**
**Laboratory**
**Pharmacy & mass immunization**
**Safety & psych support**
**Information systems**
**Public relations**

## Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Questionnaire: Readiness

**Standardize definitions of preparedness & capacity**
**Peer-reviewed readiness milestones will be developed**
**The ability to benchmark readiness & measure readiness progress**
**Data gathered can be used to model readiness**
**Developing a national standard creates allows for research**

## For more information about the first phase of the AHRQ-sponsored project and a copy of the original questionnaire, "BioterrorismEmergency Planning and Preparedness Questionnaire for HealthcareFacilities," please visit 

- _[www.ahrq.gov/research/sep02/0902ra23.htm](http://www.ahrq.gov/research/sep02/0902ra23.htm)__ _