Reverse quality management: developing evidence-based best practices in health emergency management

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Emergency Management
• Disaster Preparedness

Background:

• Inspired by the British Columbia Ministry of Health's Framework for Core Functions in Public Health.
• Fieldwork conducted in fall 2005, following major global disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the South Asia earthquake.
• Highlighted the critical need for robust disaster management and accountability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review best practices in health emergency management.
• To identify actions supporting an emergency preparedness culture at all organizational levels.
• To develop a Health Emergency Management Best Practices Matrix.

Main Methods:

• Adopted a future quality management approach to the emergency management process.
• Identified performance indicators correlating with best practices (termed 'reverse quality management').
• Considered organizational culture, leadership, and resource management in defining best practices.

Main Results:

• Developed a Health Emergency Management Best Practices Matrix.
• Best practices are influenced by organizational culture and require leadership and resource management.
• Benchmarks are locally defined performance measures rather than industrial standards.

Conclusions:

• Effective health emergency management necessitates a accountable governance structure alongside best practices.
• Fostering an emergency preparedness culture is crucial at management, executive, and governance levels.
• The developed matrix provides specific practices for different emergency management phases.