Hospitals' Resilience: An Evidence‐Based Framework for Sustaining the “ <i>Coping</i> ” Phase in Non‐Linear and Continuous Crises

ABSTRACT This study investigates the critical domains and factors of resilience that enable hospitals to recover during extraordinary crises, using the COVID‐19 pandemic as a case study. Resilience factors are categorized into four performance criteria: robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness, and rapidity, offering an evidence‐based framework for evaluating hospital resilience capabilities. The research employs a two‐round Delphi method, involving 13 experts from six major hospitals in Lombardy, to identify key factors across eight domains: supply and storage, layout redesign, strategic decision‐making, organizational flexibility, HR management, procedures, knowledge management, and information/communication. The study finds that resourcefulness and redundancy were the most significant resilience factors, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, structured decision‐making, and spatial reorganization. The results highlight that adaptability, collaboration, and redundancy are essential for enhancing hospital preparedness and response during health emergencies. This research provides practical insights and a structured framework for hospitals to assess and strengthen their resilience, improving their readiness for future health crises.