Abstract
The 2017-2018 influenza season in the US was marked by a high severity of illness, wide geographic spread, and prolonged duration compared with recent previous seasons, resulting in increased strain throughout acute care hospital systems. To characterize self-reported experiences and views of hospital capacity managers regarding the 2017-2018 influenza season in the US. In this qualitative study, semistructured telephone interviews were conducted between April 2018 and January 2019 with a random sample of capacity management administrators responsible for throughput and hospital capacity at short-term, acute care hospitals throughout the US. Each participant's self-reported experiences and views regarding high patient volumes during the 2017-2018 influenza season, lessons learned, and the extent of hospitals' preparedness planning for future pandemic events. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and then analyzed using thematic content analysis. Outcomes included themes and subthemes. A total of 53 key hospital capacity personnel at 53 hospitals throughout the US were interviewed; 39 (73.6%) were women, 48 (90.6%) had a nursing background, and 29 (54.7%) had been in the occupational role for more than 4 years. Participants' experiences were categorized into several domains: (1) perception of strain, (2) effects of influenza and influenza-like illness on staff and patient care, (3) immediate staffing and capacity responses to influenza and influenza-like illness, and (4) future staffing and capacity preparedness for influenza and influenza-like illness. Participants reported experiencing perceived strain associated with concerns about preparedness for seasonal influenza and influenza-like illness as well as concerns about staffing, patient care, and capacity, but future pandemic planning within hospitals was not reported as being a high priority. The findings of this qualitative study suggest that during the 2017-2018 influenza season, there were systemic vulnerabilities as well as a lack of hospital preparedness planning for future pandemics at US hospitals. These issues should be addressed given the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Highlights
The 2017-2018 influenza season in the US was marked by a high severity of illness, wide geographic spread, and prolonged duration.[1]
Participants reported experiencing perceived strain associated with concerns about preparedness for seasonal influenza and influenza-like illness as well as concerns about staffing, patient care, and capacity, but future pandemic planning within hospitals was not reported as being a high priority
The findings of this qualitative study suggest that during the 2017-2018 influenza season, there were systemic vulnerabilities as well as a lack of hospital preparedness planning for future pandemics at US hospitals
Summary
The 2017-2018 influenza season in the US was marked by a high severity of illness, wide geographic spread, and prolonged duration.[1] Rates of hospitalization in all age groups were the highest observed since seasonal influenza surveillance was instituted in 2005. This was associated with substantial increases in patient volumes in hospitals and hospital systems, which led to disruptions in flow, patient care, and staffing.[2] The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that influenza alone was associated with more than 27.7 million medical visits, 959 000 hospitalizations, and 79 400 deaths in 2018.3. Professional societies have provided hospital recommendations for preparedness related to influenza or mass disaster events.[6,7,8,9,10,11] to date, the extent of implementation of these recommendations into contingency planning for short-term acute care hospitals is not known.[12,13]
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