Strategies to Ensure Effective and Safe Patient Care in Intensive Care Units During Biological Events: A Delphi Study.

Introduction: Throughout history, humanity has faced numerous biological threats that have resulted in catastrophic epidemics. The challenges (Fear, uncertainties, failure of care, etc) posed by epidemics necessitate the implementation of a variety of strategies to contain them. This study was conducted to identify strategies to ensure effective and safe patient care during biological events. Methods: This study is phase of a larger research project that used the Delphi method in its third stage. The objective was to address the need for effective and safe care in intensive care units (ICUs) during biological events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delphi questionnaire was constructed using insights from the first two phases of the study: the qualitative component and the integrative review phase. The Delphi method was implemented over three rounds, with experts selected through purposive sampling. The Kendall coefficient measured the degree of consensus among the experts' opinions. Results: The strategies identified for the provision of effective and safe patient care during biological events were categorized into 10 main categories, which were further divided into related subcategories. Conclusion: Identifying and implementing strategies to improve care in intensive care units can improve patient care during crises, such as new disease outbreaks. By identifying these strategies, biological events similar to the COVID-19 pandemic can be managed more effectively. Further research is warranted to explore strategies to improve patient care in other healthcare sectors.