Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40369547›Full record

ArticleHealth research policy and systems2025

Keeping healthcare afloat: a protocol for a 5-year multi-sited interdisciplinary research project into preparedness of healthcare for floods in the Netherlands.

Robert A J Borst, Yared Abayneh Abebe, Karin van Vuuren, Julien Magana, Bert de Graaff, Saba Hinrichs-Krapels, Bas Kolen, Maria Pregnolato, Anja Schreijer, Tina Comes and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health research policy and systems, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Robert A J BorstErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. borst@eshpm.eur.nl.
Yared Abayneh AbebeFaculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Karin van VuurenErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Julien MaganaFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Bert de GraaffErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Saba Hinrichs-KrapelsFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Bas KolenFaculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Maria PregnolatoFaculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Anja SchreijerPandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Tina ComesFaculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Sebastiaan N JonkmanFaculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Roland BalErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Funding

Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center PDPC.2022.003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe 2021 European floods in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands significantly impacted healthcare. With climate change increasing flood risks, healthcare preparedness is essential. Floods affect healthcare directly and indirectly by disrupting patient access, damaging infrastructure and impeding care continuity. Our interdisciplinary research in the Netherlands systematically assesses flood impacts on healthcare, optimises disaster preparedness, patient logistics, and continuity and explores crisis governance, incorporating lessons from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

methodsOur multi-sited, interdisciplinary project titled "Pandemic lessons for flood disaster preparedness" includes literature reviews on: (i) the (in) direct impacts of floods on healthcare, (ii) disaster decision-making strategies and (iii) patient logistics during crises. Empirically, ethnographic methods (interviews, focus groups, document analyses, and observations) will: (a) assess hospital flood preparedness, (b) explore decision-making and crisis management strategies and (c) analyse the dynamics of health system governance during floods. Data from these sources and flood scenarios will inform models on healthcare impacts and decision-making, culminating in a simulation game for research and training. DISCUSSION: This study offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to understanding and improving healthcare system preparedness for floods. By integrating diverse fields such as healthcare governance, disaster risk management, logistics and hydraulic engineering, we provide a unique lens on resilience. A key strength is the incorporation of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing us to draw parallels between pandemic response and flood preparedness. In addition, our simulation game serves as a robust tool for translating knowledge into practice. However, the study's reliance on collaboration with busy healthcare and disaster response professionals may limit engagement. Moreover, the absence of direct public and patient involvement in the research design, though partially mitigated by engaging representative organizations, presents a potential limitation. Lastly, the challenge of obtaining real-time data from flood events could introduce recall bias, but triangulation of various data sources aims to address this issue. Despite these challenges, the study's integration of long-term data from recent floods and focus on healthcare-specific crisis governance provides valuable insights for improving disaster preparedness.

Indexed as

COVID-19Delivery of Health CareDisaster PlanningFloodsInterdisciplinary ResearchClimate ChangeDecision MakingHumansNetherlandsPandemicsSARS-CoV-2CrisisDisastersFloodsGovernanceHealthcareResilienceUncertainty

Identifiers

PMID40369547
PMCPMC12077005

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.