Abstract:

Objective To understand the construction and operation practices of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) at home and abroad for valuable reference in promoting the development and improvement of PHEOC in China. Methods By literature retrieval and case analysis, the concept of PHEOC was defined, and its development, construction status and operation experience in different countries were analyzed. Then the authentic cases of flood disaster incident response service by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention were analyzed to understand the role of PHEOC in specific practice, and the construction of PHEOC was grounded via special interview with the experts, understanding of PHEOC function extension, auxiliary decision-making, organization and coordination, resource allocation, effect evaluation, opportunities and challenges. Results A total of 1 256 pieces of literature were retrieved, of which 37 were eventually included. Three articles were published in Chinese, and 34 in English. The results of literature analysis showed that, in terms of function and concept, PHEOC was generally defined as the place where disease control agencies organize or carry out related emergency response services. The case analysis of the PHEOC based on the response event for the flood disasters in Sichuan, Gansu, and other provinces launched by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018 showed that PHEOC played an important role in organization and coordination, joint risk assessment, professional technical support, field team dispatch and guarantee, multi-sector information sharing and risk communication. The opinions of experts from special interviews mainly included prospective research on expanding PHEOC under the new situation, strengthening the cultivation of compound talents, actively participating in international public health actions, and incorporating new organizational management models into informatization. Conclusion Based on the context of the integrated development of global public health emergencies, it is necessary to further expand the functions and operation mechanisms of PHEOC in order to enhance the management level in the global public health emergency operations.

Key words: Public health emergencies, Emergency Operations Center, Incident management system, Operational mechanism