Assessing the Hospitals’ Preparedness Against COVID-19: A Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach

Background: COVID-19 pandemic, the different mutations of the virus, and the emergence of different variants requires that hospitals upgrade their levels of preparedness in managing the crisis. This study aims to provide a method for assessing the level of hospitals’ preparedness in dealing with such situations. Methods: In the initial stage, effective criteria for assessing hospital preparedness were identified through literature review. Following that, the Delphi method was used to obtain the perspectives of 40 experts from the healthcare system in order to validate the criteria. Then, the SWARA (Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) technique was applied to determine the weights of the criteria. Through MABAC (Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison) technique, the preparedness of 10 selected hospitals in Tehran was assessed. Finally, using sensitivity analysis, the robustness and reliability of the proposed method were examined. Results: Results indicated that personnel, their education and work experience, medical equipment, and the emergency networks were critical factors in determining the level of hospital preparedness against COVID-19. Out of the 10 selected hospitals, the Imam Khomeini Hospital was found to have the highest level of preparedness. Conclusion: This is the first study which recommends a simple and effective tool for assessing the level of preparedness through the hybrid MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision Making) approach. This tool facilitates the proper allocation of budgets and other resources in strengthening the preparedness of hospitals in handling the situation