When dealing with an infectious disease, the first issue a hospital has is treating the disease from a clinical standpoint. However, hospitals need to be concerned with the business aspect of treating patients with a high-profile infectious disease, according to an article on the Becker's Hospital Review website.
Experts say the first step to handling this type of situation from a business standpoint is to have a comprehensive response plan.
Infection control personnel and the CEO, director of nursing, CMO and communications director should be involved in the initial planning, the article said.
Among other things, the plan should look at:
• Communication
• Human resources and staffing
• HIPAA concerns