Effective Components in the Structure of Temporary Medical Centers in Biological Emergencies: A Qualitative Study

Background: The release of a biological agent can cause many casualties. This study aimed to identify the structural components of temporary medical centers in biological emergencies. Methods: The present research is a study with a qualitative approach to contractual content analysis in the period of 2021–2022 in Tehran. The participants in this study consisted of 22 managers who were experts in constructing, equipping, and maintaining temporary medical centers and had experience in responding to biological agents and working in the emergency health system in Tehran. Purposeful and snowball sampling was used to select the samples. The main question of the interview was, "In your opinion, what are the effective components in the design of a temporary medical center in biological emergencies?" The collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA-2020 software, using the Graneheim and Lundman method. Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were used to confirm the quality of the study results. Results: The essential components of temporary medical center structures in biological emergencies can be grouped into two main categories: prerequisites (including resources, infrastructures, and concepts) and effective management. The prerequisites category includes subcategories, such as adequate and skilled personnel, strategies for establishing and using suitable infrastructures, provision and support, training and practice, a health-oriented approach, communication and community involvement, cultural sensitivity, allocation of financial resources, inter-agency collaboration, legal authorization, location, and spatial accessibility. The second category, "effective management," includes subcategories like planning, a needs-based approach to service provision, defining the service delivery process, preparing protocols for center management, reducing disaster risk, treatment management, information and communication management, strategic design, and monitoring and evaluation. Conclusion: Biological emergencies are one of the world’s most important challenges, and there are still many shortcomings in the proper preparation and performance in addressing them. The results of this study can effectively improve the level of biological disaster management by identifying the components needed in the design of temporary centers.