Abstract
Objective: United States healthcare systems faced enormous pressure from the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, and such scenarios may arise again at any time in the future, so an appropriate crisis action plan should be ready to face them effectively. This study explores the significance of crisis management in healthcare organizations and explains some of the foremost institutional best practices to preserve their reputations in the community. Moreover, the study aimed to detail various strategies targeted for effective crisis management in healthcare organizations to overcome the issues caused by the pandemic.
Methods: A literature survey was conducted using a comprehensive search in PubMed, Research Gate, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. The gathered articles underwent double screening processes, and the eligible articles were included in this study to formulate this review. Broad search terms were used to find relevant literature articles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare, crisis, business strategies, and patient safety.
Results: Major healthcare systems in the United States had a proper crisis management plan to continue departmental clinical operations while upholding basic principles. The healthcare organizations acknowledged the crisis, approached it responsibly, and overcame it by reformulating appropriate crisis management plans. Clear communication, delegation, and sustainability were the basic principles held by the institutions in managing crises and serving communities. Crisis team leaders developed intranet pages for fast communication and conducted electronic discussion boards and virtual town hall meetings. They were Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) approaches to manage the crisis by focusing on society, people, and sustainability.
Conclusion: A time-sensitive crisis management plan is critical for every institution's reputation and survival since they face unexpected issues, threats, risks, and crises from time to time. The best strategies/ practices for effective crisis management may include bold decisions, well-outlined policies, planning, informing stakeholders in time, and taking rapid action to avoid a disaster. Organizations must establish suitable crisis management teams, well-structured strategic plans, communication channels, implementation procedures, and evaluation methods to overcome a crisis.