Hospital-Level COVID-19 Preparedness and Crisis Management in Czechia

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inadequacy of pandemic preparedness mechanisms worldwide. This study gathered comprehensive data from Czech hospitals, identified possible weaknesses in important areas of crisis preparedness, and quantified changes performed to enhance crisis resilience of healthcare facilities. Methods: Drawing on literature review on pandemic preparedness and hospital crisis management and detailed interviews with hospital representatives, a questionnaire was designed and distributed by email among quality managers of all Czech hospitals. Statistical analysis of their responses was conducted using EZR software. Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis test, with post hoc testing, were used to assess statistical significance. Results: Achieving response rate of 31.9%, responses from 65 hospitals were analysed. New crisis management policies were necessary in 72.3% of responding hospitals. Furthermore, a majority of the respondents changes indicated the need for changes in policies on general pandemic, human resources and infrastructure and material preparedness. Conclusion: The COVID-19 crisis required significant alterations to previously established hospital crisis management protocols and establishment of new ones. The absence of a unified system for crisis preparedness was noted at hospital and national levels.

Enhancing corporate readiness for and resilience to future public health threats, development and deployment of the public health readiness and resilience (PHRR) assessment tool

As the world suffered through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is increasingly clear that the health of populations is foundational to a high-functioning economy, corporate well-being, and a core driver of social justice. Thus, companies need to understand how to become more resilient to current and future threats. This study (1) explored dimensions of resilience from a public health risk-specific lens and reviewed existing evaluation tools and frameworks to develop a methodology and framework (Public Health Readiness and Resilience-PHRR Assessment Tool) for organizations; and (2) leveraged the framework to evaluate a sample of large corporations to validate the insights the tool can provide, confirm functionality, and evaluate the ability to leverage publicly available vs. propriety data to complete the assessment. We conducted a non-exhaustive search for relevant indices using key word searches and cascade sampling. For the initial review of indices (n = 24), the team evaluated each document based on predefined criteria. Gaps identified in the available indices informed the development of the PHRR assessment tool. The tool was then used to examine real-world companies (n = 22) from eight different industries. Findings from the PHRR tool illustrated variation in readiness and resilience as well as the availability of data. Approximately half of the companies analyzed (n = 11) indicated high levels of potential resilience and readiness with significant data available. Leveraging the PHRR Assessment Tool can inform investments and cross-sector partnerships that enhance companies' readiness and resilience to a variety of public health threats. Additional research is needed to further validate this tool.

Molecular detection and point-of-care testing in Ebola virus disease and other threats: a new global public health framework to stop outbreaks

Ultrahigh sensitivity and specificity assays that detect Ebola virus disease or other highly contagious and deadly diseases quickly and successfully upstream in Spatial Care Paths™ can stop outbreaks from escalating into devastating epidemics ravaging communities locally and countries globally. Even had the WHO and CDC responded more quickly and not misjudged the dissemination of Ebola in West Africa and other world regions, mobile rapid diagnostics were, and still are, not readily available for immediate and definitive diagnosis, a stunning strategic flaw that needs correcting worldwide. This article strategizes point-of-care testing for diagnosis, triage, monitoring, recovery and stopping outbreaks in the USA and other countries; reviews Ebola molecular diagnostics, summarizes USA FDA emergency use authorizations and documents why they should not be stop-gaps; and reduces community risk from internal and external infectious disease threats by enabling public health at points of need.