Identification of a detailed function list for public health emergency management using three qualitative methods

Abstract

At present, many administrators lack a theoretical guide to build management systems to cope with public health emergencies. This study developed a detailed function list for public health emergency management to help building the management systems scientifically. The five steps in this study including literature review, semistructured interviews with experts, focus group, Delphi study and focus group were conducted to develop the detailed list of functions. An initial list of 25 functions with 188 items was formed through literature review. The list was reduced to 10 functions with 57 items by semistructured interviews with experts and focus group. Next, all these 57 items reached the consensus through one-round Delphi study. Some revisions of the consensus were done by the same focus group. The final 10 functions with 57 items could be used as a guide for most countries during their building of a public health emergency management system.