Exploring influential components and indicators in hospital resilience assessment: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Health Systems Research
• Disaster Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Hospitals are critical infrastructure, yet vulnerable to disaster-related disruptions.
• Lack of clarity in hospital resilience hinders effective disaster risk management.
• The World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) proposed a framework for hospital resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific indicators and characteristics of hospital resilience components based on the EMRO framework.
• To develop a comprehensive hospital resilience assessment tool.
• To enhance disaster risk management strategies for healthcare facilities.

Main Methods:

• Conducting a scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley protocol.
• Searching major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) and grey literature.
• Utilizing quantitative and qualitative content analyses for data categorization.

Main Results:

• The review will systematically identify and categorize indicators and characteristics of hospital resilience.
• Findings will inform the development of a robust hospital resilience assessment tool.
• The study protocol is aligned with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews.

Conclusions:

• This research protocol outlines a comprehensive scoping review to address the need for a standardized hospital resilience assessment tool.
• The findings will contribute to strengthening healthcare system preparedness and response capabilities in emergencies and disasters.
• The developed assessment tool will support policymakers and organizations in prioritizing resilience-building efforts.