Business continuity and pandemic preparedness: US health care versus non-health care agencies

Business continuity and pandemic preparedness: US health care versus non-health care agencies

Background Only limited data are available on US business continuity activities related to biologic events. Methods A questionnaire was administered to human resource professionals during May-July 2011 to assess business continuity related to biologic events, incentives businesses are providing to m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. e27 - e33
Main Authors: Rebmann, Terri, PhD, RN, CIC, Wang, Jing, PhD, Swick, Zachary, MS, Reddick, David, BS, CBCP, delRosario, John Leon
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Mosby, Inc 01-04-2013
Mosby-Year Book, Inc
Subjects:
Adult
Commerce
Disaster
Disease control
Female
H1N1
Health care industry
Humans
Immunization
Infection Control
Infectious Disease
Influenza
Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage
Influenza, Human - prevention & control
Male
Middle Aged
Pandemics
Pandemics - prevention & control
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
Vaccination - utilization
Vaccine
Young Adult
United States
United States > US
Disaster
Vaccine
H1N1
Influenza
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Summary:Background Only limited data are available on US business continuity activities related to biologic events. Methods A questionnaire was administered to human resource professionals during May-July 2011 to assess business continuity related to biologic events, incentives businesses are providing to maximize worker surge capacity, and seasonal influenza vaccination policy. Linear regressions were used to describe factors associated with higher business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores. The χ2 and Fisher exact tests compared health care versus non-health care businesses on preparedness indicators. Results Possible business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores ranged from 0.5 to 27 and 0 to 15, with average resulting scores among participants at 13.2 and 7.3, respectively. Determinants of business continuity and pandemic preparedness were (1) business size (larger businesses were more prepared), (2) type of business (health care more prepared), (3) having human resource professional as company disaster planning committee member, and (4) risk perception of a pandemic in the next year. Most businesses (63.3%, n = 298) encourage staff influenza vaccination; 2.1% (n = 10) mandate it. Only 10% of businesses (11.0%, n = 52) provide employee incentives, and fewer than half (41.0%, n = 193) stockpile personal protective equipment. Conclusion Despite the recent H1N1 pandemic, many US businesses lack adequate pandemic plans. It is critical that businesses of all sizes and types become better prepared for a biologic event.
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ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2012.09.010