Training for terrorism-related conditions in hospitals: United States, 2003-04.

Objective: This study estimates baseline data to determine which hospital characteristics are associated with providing terrorism preparedness training to clinical staff.

Methods: Information from a Bioterrorism and Mass Casualty Supplement to the 2003 and 2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys was used to provide national estimates of variations in terrorism preparedness training by eight hospital characteristics. Of 874 hospitals in scope, 739 (84.6 percent) responded. Estimates are presented with 95 percent confidence intervals.

Results: Hospitals with Joint Commission accreditation were more likely to provide terrorism preparedness training to all types of clinical staff (staff physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and laboratory staff). Teaching hospitals, medical school affiliation, bed capacity, and urban location were also associated with training staff physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Hospitals with residency programs were associated with training only staff physicians and residents. There was more parity across hospital characteristics in training nurses and laboratory staff than for physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Joint Commission accreditation was the most consistent factor associated with providing training for all nine exposures studied (smallpox, anthrax, chemical and radiological exposures, botulism, plague, tularemia, viral encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever).