Hospitals not adequately prepared for future pandemics

Editor's Note

This study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds that US hospitals may not be adequately prepared for future pandemics.

The 10-year analysis found only marginal improvements in a measurement to assess preparedness—Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI)—during the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data included in the surge index tool are size of the medical staff, number of hospital beds, and amount of equipment and supplies. The researchers also used data from the American Hospital Association’s annual surveys, US Census Bureau, and Dartmouth Atlas Project.

The results showed increases in county and state HMSPI scores from 2005 to 2014; however, no statistically significant difference was found between 2013 and 2014.

The researchers recommend a follow-up study using data from the COVID-19 pandemic to see whether the HMSPI scores were predictive of which hospitals were most prepared based on patient outcomes. The HMSPI also could be used to support policy development and resource allocation to close gaps and ensure patients get the care they need, when they need it, during a crisis, they say.