Emergency Preparedness and Response in Aging Services
Download a free copy of the Aging Services White Paper on epidemics, pandemics, and outbreak response
Preparedness, prevention, and response require significant orchestration from all levels of the national health system. The interdependent functions of individuals, providers, organizations, and community, as well as local, state and national, and international public health organizations, make orchestration necessary for optimal effectiveness.
In its broadest sense, effectiveness is dependent on the degree to which all stakeholders—not just those who work in healthcare—participate in and adhere to fact-based, evidence-based, and medically indicated practices. Therefore, the higher the degree of alignment in preparation, prevention, and response, the better the chance of improving outcomes and achieving overall objectives related to pandemic management. Decisions made by one person, or a few individuals, can have far-reaching effects in terms of exposure, risk, and harm to others in the interdependent communities.
For healthcare provider organizations, complex challenges, such as pandemic and outbreak response, require an enterprise risk management (ERM) approach, taking full advantage of the expertise and experience of the organization’s various domains of operations.