Study finds lack of preparation for flu pandemics

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/02/09/12801946-qmi.html

Study finds lack of preparation for flu pandemics
By CHRISTINA SPENCER, Parliamentary Bureau
Last Updated: 9th February 2010, 9:04am


OTTAWA ? One-quarter of Ontario hospitals don't have a plan for dealing with an influenza pandemic, says a survey in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Among smaller and rural hospitals, only about 60% had such a plan when the data were collected, a team led by Dr. Dick Zoutman, an infection control expert at Kingston General Hospital, discovered.

The study is based on data collected in 2007, well before the Spring, 2009 outbreak of H1N1 in Canada.

Zoutman said the figures are the most recent and are "highly relevant.

"They give us a very good idea as to the extent of some of the larger gaps in the level of preparedness. I have no reason to believe some of the gaps have been completely closed."

The federal and Ontario governments provide overall guidance on pandemic planning in Canada, but hospitals are supposed to have specific plans of their own. These plans cover issues such as surveillance, staffing and stockpiles of medical and protective equipment.

Seventy percent of those questioned thought pandemic planning in their own hospital wasn't adequately funded, and about 80% didn't think their hospital's plan was complete.

Andrew Morrison, a spokesman for Ontario's said the situation in hospitals has likely improved since 2007.

"We feel we have made some progress," he said.

For instance, Ontario offered a pandemic toolkit for smaller hospitals to help in their planning. It also set up the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion and has taken other measures.

Christina.spencer@sunmedia.ca

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Study finds lack of preparation for flu pandemics

The pandemic influenza planning process in Ontario acute care hospitals<!----><!---->

<form class="form" method="get" name="authors1" action="/search/quick"><input name="search_medline" value="yes" type="hidden"><input name="search_area" value="platform+medline" type="hidden"><input name="restrictname_author" value="author" type="hidden"><input name="restricttype_author" value="author" type="hidden"><input name="restrictterm_author" value="" type="hidden"><input name="restrictdesc_author" value="" type="hidden">Dick E. Zoutman, MD, FRCPCa<!----><!---->, B. Douglas Ford, MAb, Matt Melinyshyn, MScc, Brian Schwartz, MDd</form> published online 21 December 2009.
Background

There will be little time to prepare when an influenza pandemic strikes; hospitals need to develop and test pandemic influenza plans beforehand.

Methods

Acute care hospitals in Ontario were surveyed regarding their pandemic influenza preparedness plans.

Results

The response rate was 78.5%, and 95 of 121 hospitals participated. Three quarters (76.8%, 73 of 95) of hospitals had pandemic influenza plans. Only 16.4% (12 of 73) of hospitals with plans had tested them. Larger (χ2 = 6.7, P = .01) and urban hospitals (χ2 = 5.0, P = .03) were more likely to have tested their plans. 70.4% (50 of 71) Of respondents thought the pandemic influenza planning process was not adequately funded. No respondents were ?very satisfied? with the completeness of their hospital's pandemic plan, and only 18.3% were ?satisfied.?

Conclusion

Important challenges were identified in pandemic planning: one quarter of hospitals did not have a plan, few plans were tested, key players were not involved, plans were frequently incomplete, funding was inadequate, and small and rural hospitals were especially disadvantaged. If these problems are not addressed, the result may be increased morbidity and mortality when a virulent influenza pandemic hits.


http://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(09)00890-6/abstract