This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McCabe, O. L.
Right arrow Articles by Links, J. M.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by McCabe, O. L.
Right arrow Articles by Links, J. M.

Concepts in Disaster Medicine

Ready, Willing, and Able: A Framework for Improving the Public Health Emergency Preparedness System

O. Lee McCabe, PhD, Daniel J. Barnett, MD, MPH, Henry G. Taylor, MD, MPH and Jonathan M. Links, PhD

Author Affiliations: O. Lee McCabe, Daniel J. Barnett, and Jonathan M. Links are with the Center for Public Health Preparedness, Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Henry G. Taylor is with the Center for Public Health Preparedness, Preparedness and Emergency Response Center, Department of Health Policy and Management; Health Department, Cecil County, Maryland.

Every society is exposed periodically to catastrophes and public health emergencies that are broad in scale. Too often, these experiences reveal major deficits in the quality of emergency response. A critical barrier to achieving preparedness for high-quality, system-based emergency response is the absence of a universal framework and common language to guide the pursuit of that goal. We describe a simple but comprehensive framework to encourage a focused conversation to improve preparedness for the benefit of individuals, families, organizations, communities, and society as a whole. We propose that constructs associated with the well-known expression "ready, willing, and able" represent necessary and sufficient elements for a standardized approach to ensure high-quality emergency response across the disparate entities that make up the public health emergency preparedness system. The "ready, willing, and able" constructs are described and specific applications are offered to illustrate the broad applicability and heuristic value of the model. Finally, prospective steps are outlined for initiating and advancing a dialogue that may directly lead to or inform already existing efforts to develop quality standards, measures, guidance, and (potentially) a national accreditation program.

Key Words: disasters • disaster preparedness • disaster planning • emergency preparedness • public health • emergency medical services • accreditation • health personnel • stress, psychological