Table 3 Selected most urgent recommendations

Agreements

The organization's infectious disease preparedness plan should be generic (flexible and adaptable to the actual situation) (N = 10, 77%)

Healthcare organizations should tune their organizational infectious disease preparedness plan with all (local/regional/national) organizations that they interact with during outbreaks (N = 5, 38%)

An infectious disease preparedness plan should include items for staff protection; nb in case of uncertainty protection should start at the highest required level in the actual setting whereby the protection of employees is guaranteed, adapted for the specific situation (N = 5, 38%)

An infectious disease preparedness plan should include items supporting infection control (including measures to prevent contamination) for all phases of the outbreak (N = 4, 31%)

All designated professionals should be trained (N = 4, 31%)

The organization's infectious disease preparedness plan should be generic (flexible and adaptable to the actual situation) (N = 3, 43%)

Healthcare organizations should tune their organizational infectious disease preparedness plan with all (local/regional/national) organizations that they interact with during outbreaks (N = 4, 57%)

An infectious disease preparedness plan should include items for staff protection; nb in case of uncertainty protection should start at the highest required level in the actual setting whereby the protection of employees is guaranteed, adapted for the specific situation (N = 3, 43%)

An infectious disease preparedness plan should include items supporting infection control (including measures to prevent contamination) for all phases of the outbreak (N = 5, 71%)

All designated professionals should be trained (N = 3, 43%)

Differences

Healthcare organizations should develop their organizational infectious disease preparedness plan in a multidisciplinary internal committee (N = 7, 54%)

A communication and coordination system between each healthcare organization and the local/regional/state/country public health authorities should be established (N = 6, 46%)

Resources for developing, testing, and updating a preparedness plan should be made available (N = 5, 38%)

Healthcare organizations should organize regular infectious disease drills/exercises (N = 5, 38%)

Healthcare organizations should develop an internal information channel to ensure up-to-date information is factual, accurate, and reliable while preventing information overload (N = 5, 38%)

The organization's infectious disease preparedness outbreak plan should correspond with the national guidelines, but should deviate to fit the local situation (N = 4, 31%)

The organization’s outbreak preparedness plan and its updates should be disseminated and implemented in multiple and various ways by the responsible management (N = 4, 31%)

Senior management should prepare to provide adequate resources to respond to an outbreak (N = 4, 31%)

Healthcare organizations should prepare for installing an outbreak control group (e.g. an outbreak management team) in case of a threat to coordinate the response (N = 4, 31%)

Healthcare organizations should have an access plan in place for stockpiling and distribution (N = 4, 57%)

Healthcare organizations should evaluate their level of preparedness (N = 3, 43%)

Health care organizations should plan to expand their capacity (N = 3, 43%)

Healthcare organizations should collaborate, coordinate, and communicate with key regional stakeholders for outbreak preparedness (N = 3, 43%)