Background: Given the significance of the preparedness and responsiveness of healthcare systems in relation to epidemics, this study aimed to determine their influencing factors during epidemic crises with a view to utilizing the findings in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak Methods: This scoping study was conducted in 2020 via the Arksey and O'Malley approach A systematic search was conducted on five online databases from January 2000 to June 15, 2020 Initially, 1926 English articles were retrieved based on their abstracts After the screening process, 60 articles were considered for the final analysis Data were charted by applying Microsoft Office Excel 2013 and were synthesized via thematic analysis Results: Five main factors have affected the responsiveness and preparedness of countries during the epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19: community-related interventions, managerial interventions, socioeconomic factors, the readiness of hospitals and health centers, and environmental factors These themes are associated with 38 related sub-themes The thematic framework shows that interactions between these five determinantes can affect the preparedness and responsiveness of healthcare systems during pandemics/epidemics Conclusion: According to the results, healthcare systems need to pay attention to their internal capacities, managerial interventions, and health centers to overcome the current pandemic They should also consider such external factors as socioeconomic and environmental determinants that can affect their potential preparedness against pandemic/epidemic crises Community-related interventions such as improvement of the community health literacy, teamwork, and social responsibility can enhance the readiness of healthcare systems against the [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Main Factors Affecting the Readiness and Responsiveness of Healthcare Systems during Epidemic Crises: A Scoping Review on Cases of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19