107 Research Paper Development of a National Guide for Designing the Structure of Makeshift Hospital: With Focus on Pandemics Zahra Eskandari 1 , Arezoo Dehghani 2 , Hosein Farzaneh 3 , Gholamreza Masoumi 3,4* 1. Department of Medical Emergencies, School of Nursing, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Alborz, Iran. 2. Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3. Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, Emergency Management Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Services, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4. Health in Emergency and Disaster Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. * Corresponding Author: Gholamreza Masoumi, Associate Professor. Address: Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Health Management and Information Services, Iran University of Medical Sci- ences, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: greza.masoumi@gmail.com Background: Epidemics are threats to communities and their health. The preparedness of makeshift hospitals in epidemics in management, planning, implementation, and structure to provide appropriate and timely services is essential. Studies show that the incidence command system and the operational fact sheet based on task descriptions and instructions in makeshift hospitals are not considered. This study is designed to develop an appropriate organizational structure for makeshift hospitals. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study in two stages, including review and expert panel studies, to develop a national fact sheet guide and the structure of makeshift hospitals. Results: Based on the nature of disasters, makeshift hospitals should have specific structures. In the structure designed for a makeshift hospital, according to the center’s services and time of activation, it is necessary to have a manager, management, and executive staff. A medical specialist, such as an infectious or pulmonary specialist, is essential, depending on the situation. Considering the limited resources in developing countries and the importance of managing resources (financial, human, and equipment) and improving the quality of health services, it will be helpful to formulate a management structure and implement operational worksheets in the least possible time. Conclusion: The use of command and management structure will improve decision-making in critical situations, especially in cases of epidemics, the need for quarantine, and the provision of services to injured patients. A B S T R A C T Keywords: Emergencies, Pandemics, Patient care management, COVID-19 Citation Eskandari Z, Dehghani A, Farzaneh H, Masoumi Gh. Development of a National Guide for Designing the Structure of Makeshift Hospital: With Focus on Pandemics. Health in Emergencies and Disasters Quarterly . 2024; 9(2):107-114. http://dx.doi. org/10.32598/hdq.9.2.310.6 : http://dx.doi.org/10.32598/hdq.9.2.310.6 Use your device to scan and read the article online Article info: Received: 16 Jan 2023 Accepted: 08 Oct 2023 Available Online: 01 Jan 2024 January 2024, Volume 9, Number 2