An Assessment of Collaboration and Disasters: A Hospital Perspective

Introduction There is no standard guidance for strategies for hospitals to use to coordinate with other agencies during a disaster. Hypothesis/Problem This study analyzes successful strategies and barriers encountered by hospitals across the nation in coordinating and collaborating with other response agencies. Methods Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a web-based study from 577 acute care hospitals sampled from the 2013 American Hospital Association (AHA) database. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The most common barriers to collaboration are related to finances, ability to communicate, and personnel. Adelaine SA , Shoaf K , Harvey C . An assessment of collaboration and disasters: a hospital perspective . Prehosp Disaster Med . 2016 ; 31 ( 2 ): 121 – 125 .