Citation

Adini B, Laor D, Cohen R, Israeli A. J. Public Health Policy 2012; 33(2): 257-268.

Affiliation

Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel; [2] PREPARED Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. E-mail: adinib@bgu.ac.il [3] Emergency Medicine Department, Recanati School of Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group -- Palgrave-Macmillan)

DOI

10.1057/jphp.2012.2

PMID

22318408

Abstract

Hospitals have frequently been evacuated because of natural or man-made disasters. In this article, we identify elements to be considered when confronted with the possibility of hospital evacuation. Hospital evacuation may have a significant impact on the surrounding community and the overall population. When the patients in a hospital are placed at risk, hospital leadership often decides to evacuate the facility to safeguard the well-being of both patients and staff. Such a decision is not likely to be criticized. We present various considerations. The effect of evacuation on patients, hospital staff, family members, the community, and even the nation as a whole, as well as repercussions affecting potential patients should be integral to the decision-making process and parallel to the risk assessment.Journal of Public Health Policy advance online publication, 9 February 2012; doi:10.1057/jphp.2012.2.

Language: en