Table 2.
Planning Components for Pandemic Influenza in Nursing Homesa
| Respondents, No./Total (%) | P Valueb | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska (n = 171) |
Michigan (n = 280) |
Total (n = 451) |
|||
| Pandemic influenza plan | |||||
| Separate plan | 36/167 (22) | 61/261 (23) | 97/428 (23) |  |
.85 |
| Part of current plan | 42/167 (25) | 68/261 (26) | 110/428 (26) | ||
| Does not yet have a plan | 89/167 (53) | 132/261 (51) | 221/428 (52) | ||
| Staff position responsible for pandemic or disaster preparedness | 122/167 (73) | 223/279 (80) | 345/446 (77) | .09 | |
| Referred to the CDC nursing home pandemic preparedness checklist | 105/170 (62) | 171/276 (62) | 276/446 (62) | .97 | |
| Stockpiling supplies | 66/167 (40) | 150/264 (57) | 216/431 (50) | <.001 | |
| Plans to provide pandemic training | 70/148 (47) | 131/241 (54) | 201/389 (52) | .18 | |
| Staff given introductory pandemic education | 87/167 (52) | 104/248 (42) | 191/415 (46) | .04 | |
| Access to laboratory facilities for influenza detection | 118/147 (80) | 215/248 (87) | 333/395 (84) | .09 | |
| Plans to prioritize staff and residents for vaccine and antiviral distribution | 75/152 (49) | 156/249 (63) | 231/401 (58) | .009 | |
| Plans to brief family members, visitors, vendors, and consultants | 66/147 (45) | 141/247 (57) | 207/394 (53) | .02 | |
| Communication lines established with nearby hospitals | 53/138 (38) | 112/227 (49) | 165/365 (45) | .04 | |
| Communication lines with state and local public health officials | 65/136 (48) | 121/217 (56) | 186/353 (53) | .14 | |
| Conducted pandemic influenza outbreak exercises | 8/168 (5) | 20/264 (8) | 28/432 (6) | .25 | |
| Mental health and faith-based services available | 94/154 (61) | 185/239 (77) | 279/393 (71) | <.001 | |
| Nursing homes being counted on as alternative care sites for hospital overflow | 112/165 (68) | 137/272 (50) | 249/437 (57) | <.001 | |
| Additional beds could be made available | 79/171 (46) | 89/280 (32) | 168/451 (37) | .002 | |
| Will accept hospital overflow influenza patients requiring low level of care | 60/171 (35) | 110/280 (39) | 170/451 (38) | .37 | |
| Will accept hospital overflow noninfluenza patients requiring low level of care | 115/171 (67) | 148/280 (53) | 263/451 (58) | .003 | |
| Will discharge residents to open up beds | 7/171 (4) | 25/280 (9) | 32/451 (7) | .05 | |
| Will accept patients on ventilators | 8/171 (5) | 11/280 (4) | 19/451 (4) | .70 | |
| Will provide community care and services such as vaccination clinics | 62/171 (36) | 85/280 (30) | 147/451 (33) | .19 | |
Abbreviation: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
a
Responses of “do not know” were treated as missing data.
b
Comparison of Nebraska vs Michigan responding nursing homes using χ2 test.