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AHRQ releases emergency planning assessment tool

Emergency Management Alert, May 7, 2007

With such recent and catastrophic public emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, as well as ongoing pandemic flu planning, the need for emergency preparedness is critical, says the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In an effort to help healthcare organizations prepare for such a contingency, AHRQ is offering a downloadable questionnaire designed to help organizations assess their own level of preparedness.

That data can then be used, the agency says, "as a point of departure" for broader emergency planning. According to AHRQ, the questionnaire is designed for two main uses, including the following:

·        States, localities, and multi-hospital systems. "Primarily, the survey is designed to be administered to hospitals and healthcare facilities in these jurisdictions to assess overall hospital emergency preparedness," AHRQ states.

·        Individual hospitals or healthcare facilities. "Individual facilities can use the questionnaire as a checklist of areas to consider as a facility develops or improves emergency preparedness and response plans. Hospitals can also use the questionnaire as a checklist for planning, performing, and evaluating drills or exercises," the Web site says.

For more information, click here.

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