Comprehensive Evaluation of Disaster Risk Management Standards in the Iranian Hospitals

Background and Aim: Hospital preparedness in disasters is an important role in maintaining and promoting community health. Hospital disaster risk management accreditation standards have been developed since 2016. This study was conducted to investigate the implementation of these standards in the country's hospitals to identify the strengths and weaknesses of hospitals and provide practical solutions. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in hospitals throughout the country. The results of the evaluation of the third round of accreditation in 2017 were used. Hospitals were evaluated by national accreditation surveyors of the Ministry of Health using a checklist related to accreditation standards and measures based on disaster risk management (seven standards and 37 criteria) and registered in the country's accreditation system. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The average score of the country's hospitals in the field of disaster risk management was 48.82. Zanjan (58.27) and Qazvin (56.44) provinces have the highest score and Ilam (25.36) and Lorestan (38.39) provinces have the lowest score. The highest score was in the first standard (disaster risk assessment and prioritization) with an average of 67.78 and the second standard (fire prevention and control) with an average of 67.05. The lowest scores were related to the fifth standard (reporting accidents and dangerous situations) (29.38) and the seventh standard (activating response systems) (32.33). More than 75% of the country's border provinces (Ilam, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, East and West Azerbaijan) have scored less than 50%. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the average scores of the country's hospitals in disaster risk management was low and the country's hospitals, especially hospitals in border provinces, are not adequately prepared to deal with disasters. The biggest weaknesses of hospitals in the scientific formulation of preparedness and response programs are the lack of knowledge about the national instructions of preparedness and response, lack of education and training, non-structural vulnerability, and infrastructure of hospitals. Strengthening the safety and resilience of hospitals, improving the level of knowledge and skills of managers and staff, and improving the quality and continuous review of standards based on the challenges of the hospital, are among the strategies for developing and improving hospital preparedness for disasters.