A management plan for hospitals and medical centers facing radiation incidents

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, application of nuclear technology in different industries has largely expanded worldwide. Proportionately,the risk of nuclear incidents and the resulting injuries have, therefore, increased in recent years. Preparedness is an important part of the crisis management cycle; therefore efficient preplanning seems crucial to any crisis  management plan. Equipped with facilities and experienced personnel, hospitals naturally engage with the response to disasters. The main  purpose of our study was to present a practical management pattern for hospitals and medical centers in case they encounter a nuclear emergency.Materials and Methods:In this descriptive qualitative study, data were collected through experimental observations, sources like Safety manuals released by the International Atomic Energy Agency and interviews with experts to gather their ideas along with Delphi method for polling, and brainstorming. In addition, the 45 experts were interviewed on three targeted using brainstorming and Delphi method. Results: We finally proposed a management plan along with a set of practicality standards for hospitals and medical centers to optimally respond to nuclear medical  emergencies when a radiation incident happens nearby. Conclusion: With respect to the great importance of preparedness against nuclear incidents  adoption and regular practice of nuclear crisis management codes for  hospitals and medical centers seems quite necessary.

Key words: Crisis management, disasters, hospital management, nuclear incidents, preparedness for incidents