Lessons Learned from Field Experiences on Hospitals' Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Approach

In this concluding article of the special issue, we examine lessons learned from hospitals' resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, and Mali. A quality lesson learned (QLL) results from a systematic process of collecting, compiling, and analyzing data derived ideally from sustained effort over the life of a research project and reflecting both positive and negative experiences. To produce QLLs as part of this research project, a guide to their development was drafted. The systematic approach we adopted to formulate quality lessons, while certainly complex, took into account the challenges faced by the different stakeholders involved in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we present a comparative analysis of the lessons learned by hospitals and their staff with regard to four common themes that were the subject of empirical analyses: 1) infrastructure reorganization; 2) human resources management; 3) prevention and control of infection risk; and 4) logistics and supply. The lessons learned from the resilience of the hospitals included in this research indicate several factors to consider in preparing for a health crisis: 1) strengthening the coordination and leadership capacities of hospital managers and health authorities; 2) improving communication strategies; 3) strengthening organizational capacity; and 4) adapting resources and strategies, including for procurement and infection risk management.