Best Practices of Hospitals in Management of Epidemic Conditions: A Scoping Review

Many hospitals globally have valuable experiences in preparing for management and responding to infectious epidemics. Identifying and analyzing these experiences can provide comprehensive and practical data for decision-making and effective performance. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review and content analysis of the best practices of hospital (private or public) management in epidemic conditions.

This research is a scoping review and content analysis, conducted in 2021. Data was collected by searching different databases, including Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, ProQuest, websites, search engines, and public reports without time limits. Content analysis was performed for data analysis.

We retrieved 8842 records from databases and other sources. Finally, 24 studies from 12 countries were selected for analysis. Most studies belonged to the United States (9 cases), and most subjects were on Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) (19 studies). We classified the results into two major categories of in-hospital executive readiness and logistic readiness. Executive readiness included 11 main categories (physical structure, resource management, exposure reduction, patients and caregivers' management, corpse management, disinfection, staff support, patient admission, instructions and guidelines, tele- communication, and education) and 26 sub-categories. Logistic readiness consisted of three major categories (leadership/team making, communication, and using capabilities) and five sub-categories.

Healthcare managers can use the identified categories and dimensions of managerial readiness and responsiveness as an action plan during an infectious disease epidemic.