Decision-making in crisis: Applying a healthcare triage methodology to business continuity management
Abstract
The concept of triage in healthcare has been around for centuries and continues to be applied today so that scarce resources are allocated according to need. A business impact analysis (BIA) is a form of triage in that it identifies which processes are most critical, which to address first and how to allocate limited resources. On its own, however, the BIA provides only a roadmap of the impacts and interdependencies of an event. When disaster strikes, organisational decision-makers often face difficult decisions with regard to allocating limited resources between multiple ‘mission-critical’ functions. Applying the concept of triage to business continuity provides those decision-makers navigating a rapidly evolving and unpredictable event with a path that protects the fundamental priorities of the organisation. A business triage methodology aids decision-makers in times of crisis by providing a simplified framework for decision-making based on objective, evidence-based criteria, which is universally accepted and understood. When disaster strikes, the survival of the organisation depends on critical decision-making and quick actions to stabilise the incident. This paper argues that organisations need to supplement BIA processes with a decision-making triage methodology that can be quickly applied during the chaos of an actual event.
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Author's Biography
Bethany Moore is Senior Consultant for Emergency/Disaster Management at Alberta Health Services (AHS). She has 10 years’ experience in frontline healthcare and healthcare emergency management. At AHS, she leads the emergency management and business continuity education programme for nearly 100,000 direct employees. Bethany holds a master of public administration degree from the University of Victoria, a bachelor of social sciences degree from the University of Ottawa and an emergency management diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. She is a Certified Emergency Manager with the International Association of Emergency Managers and Associate Business Continuity Professional with the Disaster Recovery Institute.
Eric A. Bone is Regional Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness for Capital Health Edmonton and Area. He came to Capital Health in 2003, having completed 28 years in the Emergency Medical System (EMS) field with British Columbia Ambulance. Eric holds a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Victoria and a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University in Victoria. His certification in emergency preparedness comes from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. He is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers. Eric has authored and contributed to publications including Canadian Journal of Public Health and Disaster, Mass Casualty, Epidemics/Pandemics, and Terrorism Nursing: Textbook of Medical — Surgical Nursing, and has presented to several national and international conferences.
Citation
Moore, Bethany and Bone, Eric A. (2017, September 1). Decision-making in crisis: Applying a healthcare triage methodology to business continuity management. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 11, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.69554/PKXY7279.
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