International Journal of Clinical Science and Medical Research

Business Continuity" refers to maintaining business functions or quickly resuming them in the event of major disruption, natural disasters, and humanitarian disasters. There is a difference between the disaster recovery plan and "Business Continuity" planning. A disaster recovery plan focuses mainly on restoring infrastructure and operations after a crisis, making it just one part of a complete "Business Continuity" plan. All organizations must have "Business Continuity" planning for disastrous events and such planning should cover business processes, assets, human resources, business partners, and customers.

Hospitals are organizations in every aspect. The structure of hospitals is a hierarchical structure, in which there is a chain of command and management. General Managers, department managers, and personnel. Also, hospital structures include various infrastructures, each of which is supported by a chain of different supplies. Damage to one of the hospital's structures, or damage to its supply chain, can endanger its survival.

Business continuity, emergencies, planning, operations, medical system, hospitals, preparedness, disasters.

1. Lindors K. & Tittle E. How to create an effective Business Continuity plan. 2017. Available from:  https://www.cio.com/article/2381021/best-practices-how-to-create-an-effective-business-continuity-plan.html
2. Government of Canada.  A guide to "Business Continuity" planning. Ministry of Public Works and Government Services. Catalogue No. D82-37/2003E. 2015. Available from: https://www.jumpjet.info/Emergency-Preparedness/Disaster-Mitigation/A_Guide_to_Business_Continuity_Planning.pdf
3. Nagata, T., Himeno, S., Himeno, A., Hasegawa, M., Lefor, A., Hashizume, M., Ishii, M. Successful hospital evacuation after the Kumamoto Earthquakes, Japan, 2016. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2017, 11(5), 517-521. Available from: DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2016.180
4. Steps for developing an effective Business Continuity plan. In Availity. 2016. Available from: https://availity.com/Blog/2016/November/4-Steps-for-Developing-an-Effective-Business-Continuity-Plan
5. WHO guidance for business continuity. World health Organization. Document number WHO/WHE/CPI/2018.60. 2021. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/324850
6. A Strategic framework for emergency preparedness. World Health Organization, ISBN: 978-92-4-151182-7. 2017. 2021. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254883/9789241511827-eng.pdf?sequence=1
7. WHO guidance for contingency planning. World Health Organization. WHO/WHE/CPI/2018.13.2018. 2021. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/260554/WHO-WHE-CPI-2018.13-eng.pdf
8. Speight P. Business continuity. Journal of Applied Security Research, 6(4) 529-554. 2011. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/19361610.2011.604021
9. Véronneau S., Cimon Y. & Roy j. A Model for improving organizational continuity. Journal of Transportation Security, 2013, 6, 209–220. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12198-013-0112-4
10. Cerullo V., Cerullo M.J. Business continuity: A comprehensive approach. Information System Management, 2006, 21(3) 70-78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1201/1078/44432.21.3.20040601/82480.11
11. Martinho R., Rijo R. & Nunes A. Complexity analysis of a business process automation: case study on a healthcare organization. Procedia Computer Science, 2015, 64(1) 1226-1236. Available from:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.08.510
12. Geelen-Baass B.NL., Johnstone J.MK. Building resiliency: ensuring business continuity is on the health care agenda. Australian Health Review, 2008, 32(1) 161 - 173. Available from:  https://doi.org/10.1071/AH080161 
13. Tosh P.K., Fekdman H., Christian M.D., Devereaux A.V., Kissoon N. & Dichter J.R. Business and continuity of operations: care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. Chest Journal, 2014, 146(4) e1035-e1175. Available from:  https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0739
14. Radovic V., Vitale K. & Tchounwou P. Health facilities safety in natural disasters: Experiences and challenges from south east Europe. Environmental Research and Public Health, 2012, 9(5) 1677-1686. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9051677 
15. Dalton Craig B. Business continuity management and pandemic influenza. New South Wales Public Health Bulletin, 2006, 17, 138-141. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1071/NB06035 
16. Cerullo V., Cerullo M.J. Business continuity: A comprehensive approach. Information System Management, 2006, 21(3) 70-78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1201/1078/44432.21.3.20040601/82480.11
17. Bierenbaum A.B., Neiley B. & Savageau C. Importance of business continuity in health care. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2013, 3(1) 7-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1097/DMP.0b013e31819e6d8f 
18. Devlen A. How to build a comprehensive business continuity programme for a healthcare organization. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 2009, 4(1) 47-61.
19. Morgan S.J., Rackham R.A. & Penny S. Business continuity in blood services: Two case studies from events with potentially catastrophic effect on the national provision of blood components. VoxSanguinis Journal, 2015, 108(2) 151-159. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.12205
20. Ogawa K., Kaneko M., Kajihara C., Sano M. & Munechika M. Systematization of countermeasures to improve business continuity of regional healthcare in a disaster. Total Quality Science, 2016, 2(2) 60-69. Available from: https://doi.org/10.17929/tqs.2.60
21. Kudo D., Furukawa H., Nakagawa A., Yamanouchi S., Koido Y., Matsumura T., Abe Y., Konishi R., Matoba M., Tominaga T. & Kushimoto S. Resources for business continuity in disaster-based hospitals in the Great East Japan Earthquake: Survey of Miyagi prefecture disaster base hospitals and the prefectural disaster medicine headquarters. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2013, 7(5) 461-466. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2013.77
22. Lee C., Robinson K.M. & Wendt K. The preparedness of hospital health information services for system failures due to internal disasters. Health Information Management Journal, 2009, 38(2) 18-26. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/183335830903800203