Decision-making in crisis: Applying a healthcare triage methodology to business continuity management

Bethany Moore and Eric A. Bone
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Eric A. Bone: Director of Zone Operations, Emergency/Disaster Management, Alberta Health Services, Canada

Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 2017, vol. 11, issue 1, 21-26

Abstract: The concept of triage in healthcare has been around for centuries and continues to be applied today so that scarce resources are allocated according to need. A business impact analysis (BIA) is a form of triage in that it identifies which processes are most critical, which to address first and how to allocate limited resources. On its own, however, the BIA provides only a roadmap of the impacts and interdependencies of an event. When disaster strikes, organisational decision-makers often face difficult decisions with regard to allocating limited resources between multiple ‘mission-critical’ functions. Applying the concept of triage to business continuity provides those decision-makers navigating a rapidly evolving and unpredictable event with a path that protects the fundamental priorities of the organisation. A business triage methodology aids decision-makers in times of crisis by providing a simplified framework for decision-making based on objective, evidence-based criteria, which is universally accepted and understood. When disaster strikes, the survival of the organisation depends on critical decision-making and quick actions to stabilise the incident. This paper argues that organisations need to supplement BIA processes with a decision-making triage methodology that can be quickly applied during the chaos of an actual event.

Keywords: business continuity; triage; business triage; business impact analysis (BIA); resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M1 M10 M12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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