Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41087901›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of emergency medicine2025

Strengthening hospital resilience to earthquakes: a public health review of seismic risk reduction programs in the Middle East.

Yasir Almukhlifi, Maher Alsulami, Abdullah Alharbi, Tafe Howsawi, Amal Hussain, Reema Alfageeh, Aseel Alzahrani, Eatedal Alshareef, Amal Salah, Rani Radey and 1 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of emergency medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yasir AlmukhlifiCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia. Yasir.Almukhlifi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6143-3000
Maher AlsulamiCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah AlharbiCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Tafe HowsawiCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Amal HussainCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Reema AlfageehCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, P.O. Box.9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Aseel AlzahraniCollege of Medicine, Umm Al-Quraa University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Eatedal AlshareefCollege of Medicine, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Amal SalahCollege of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Rani RadeyEmergency Medicine Department, Makkah Health Cluster, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed SultanCrisis and Disaster Health Center, Ministry of Health, Najran, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMaintaining hospital functionality during and after earthquakes is essential for effective disaster response in seismically active regions. In the Middle East, hospital resilience is challenged by limited infrastructure investment, variable enforcement of safety regulations, and inconsistent preparedness planning.

methodsA systematic literature review was conducted across nine databases (2009-2024), including EBSCO, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, EconLit, and Google Scholar. Studies were included if they assessed hospitals in the Middle East with comprehensive or partial seismic risk reduction programs. Three independent reviewers performed data extraction and quality appraisal using validated tools appropriate to study design.

resultsFive studies met the inclusion criteria. Hospitals with comprehensive seismic risk reduction programs, including structural retrofitting, disaster drills, surge capacity plans, and emergency communication protocols, demonstrated higher levels of functional continuity following earthquakes. In contrast, facilities lacking such measures reported structural damage, service disruptions, and patient evacuations. Mobile hospitals were identified as a promising adaptive strategy for mitigating overload in high-risk, resource-limited settings.

conclusionComprehensive seismic preparedness programs enhance hospital functionality in earthquake-prone regions. These findings underscore the importance of integrated risk reduction strategies, cross-sector coordination, and sustained investment. Further research is needed to evaluate the comparative impact of preparedness levels using standardized functionality indicators, and to explore scalable innovations such as mobile and modular healthcare units to strengthen regional disaster resilience.

Indexed as

Disaster planningEarthquakesEmergency preparednessHospitalsMiddle eastRisk management

Identifiers

PMID41087901
PMCPMC12523173

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.