Hospital Management in Infectious Disease Outbreak: Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Background: Biological events including epidemics, pandemics, emerging, and reemerging infectious diseases have significant adverse consequences on health. The hospitals have a major role in the management of outbreaks and mitigation of effects. During pandemics health systems especially, hospitals may be affected. Methods: Therefore, the current study aimed to collect and analyze lessons learned from hospitals in Iran. The data were collected through document analysis, direct observation, and opinions of an expert panel (participating hospital chiefs, hospital chiefs, hospital managers, disaster committee managers, matrons, and other hospital staff) at hospitals involved with Corona patients. Results: This practical measure that performed in Iranian hospitals including the development of Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), screening and triage, establishing call center, patient and family management, personnel management, volunteers management, education, planning, safety, environmental health, dead body management, sampling, food hygiene of staff and patients, coordination and cooperation, sharing information, home treatment and care, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and isolation. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has significant adverse consequences on human health, hospital, and medical staff. During COVID-19, hospitals will face an increasing number of suspected the confirmed patients. Therefore, hospitals have to perform the proper measures for the management of an emergency.