Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 14(2), pp. 218 - 227
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2026.140202
Reprint (PDF) (706Kb)

Evaluating Disaster Management in Hospitals for Enhancing Public Health Preparedness: A Narrative Review

Herlina ^1,2,*, Fridawaty Rivai ³, Yahya Thamrin ³, Andi Zulkifli ⁴, Muhammad Syafar ⁵, Irwandy ⁶, Ilham Alimuddin ^7
1 Doctoral Program in Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
² Public Health Study Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Pare-Pare, Indonesia
³ Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
⁵ Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
⁶ Department of Hospital Administration, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
⁷ Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Preparedness for disasters is a critically important aspect and a key determinant of successful disaster management. To minimize the impact of disasters across all stages, nursing interventions are essential in prevention or mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and reconstruction or rehabilitation efforts. Despite the importance of these measures, comprehensive information regarding hospital disaster preparedness remains scarce. Therefore, this review aims to provide an in-depth overview of existing research on hospital readiness in responding to disasters. A literature search was performed for articles published between 2018 and 2022 in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect using the keywords "disaster preparedness" and "hospital disaster plan." Studies were included if they analyzed hospital preparedness, employed a cross-sectional design, and were published in English or Indonesian. All selected articles were evaluated independently based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) criteria. The initial search yielded 1105 articles, but only 13 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Among these, the majority indicated that hospitals showed poor preparedness in responding to disasters. They also lacked confidence in their ability to handle major disaster events. The review findings indicate that most hospitals are sub-optimally prepared for disaster management. Policymakers should promote the implementation of disaster preparedness training in hospitals.

KEYWORDS
Disaster Preparedness, Hospital Readiness, Emergency Response, Disaster Management, Hospital Disaster Plan

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Herlina , Fridawaty Rivai , Yahya Thamrin , Andi Zulkifli , Muhammad Syafar , Irwandy , Ilham Alimuddin , "Evaluating Disaster Management in Hospitals for Enhancing Public Health Preparedness: A Narrative Review," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 218 - 227, 2026. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2026.140202.

(b). APA Format:
Herlina , Fridawaty Rivai , Yahya Thamrin , Andi Zulkifli , Muhammad Syafar , Irwandy , Ilham Alimuddin (2026). Evaluating Disaster Management in Hospitals for Enhancing Public Health Preparedness: A Narrative Review. Universal Journal of Public Health, 14(2), 218 - 227. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2026.140202.