Health Care Organizations’ Interoperability during Multi-Organizational Disaster Management: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Disaster management (DM) is becoming increasingly complex because of technological advancement and the multi-organization and international contexts. Effective interoperability and adequate collaboration in DM have the potential to spare the human life and to control the economic burden. For those reasons, it's becoming important to find a way for systems and organizations that exploit, at the same time, the technological interoperability and team's interoperability. This study aims to provide an overview of the multi-organizational problems and solutions reflecting on achieving interoperability in multi-organizational DM. Methods: The article is structured as a scoping review based on the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist was used to report the results. The selected papers were assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklists to screen their methodological quality. The scoping review was conducted systematically searching the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The search algorithm was developed using the three key concepts "interoperability; multi-organizational; disaster medicine"translated into different possible search and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Studies of all research design types were considered. Discussion: The included literature is reporting experiences on interoperability and how it has been applied to health care systems and organizations interacting during a disaster event. Twelve articles were included. Specific problems and solutions were identified regarding the technological and personnel interoperability, such as ineffective integration, technical problems, lack of an interoperability language, and data filtering network. The suggested approach might involve a focus on both the technological as well the human and personnel interoperability with the aim to create a culture of interoperability through compatible technological solutions and joint trainings. Conclusions: This study identified two main approaches during disasters: technology versus personnel interoperability. The suggested approach is to develop a hybrid culture of interoperability through compatible technological solutions combined to joint and multi-disciplinary trainings to achieve the development of a common language. Further research will need a solution-focused approach on the culture and language of interoperability as thematic gathering training, socio-technical networks, and policies/procedural guidelines.