A study on the factors that influence the agility of COVID-19 hospitals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Humanity is facing the biggest challenge ever in the history of mankind as COVID-19 is lashing hard over the people round the globe. The present situation is getting worse as the management of heavy influx of infected individuals in the Covid care centres are difficult as well as the new emergence of mutant forms of Corona virus which may escape from the immune surveillance or the viral immune acquired responses against the newly developed vaccines, which may lead the global healthcare systems to uncertainty and it’s the situational demand to increase the efficacy of such systems by managerial operations. Agility plays a vital role in Covid-19 care to enhance the operational performance to meet the dynamic demand of Covid-19 hospitals. The aim of this paper is to analyse the factors that interplay in the agility of Covid care operations in healthcare organizationsusing Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) approach. This is the first attempt made to understand the factors influencing the agility of Covid care systems using TISM approach. Accessibility and availability of the required resources, training and development, collaboration and resilience were found to be key driving factors influencing agility, while multi-tasking and decision making, embracing technology and innovations and cost effectiveness were identified as the triggering factors. The findings may help the healthcare organizations to enhance their agility level of the Covid care operations.