e-VAST™
Download e-VAST™
To install e-VAST™, unzip the downloaded folder and read installation instructions contained in the Readme.txt file.
About e-VAST™
e-VAST™ is a software based tool which allows a hospital through their risk and safety leadership or environment of care committee structure to create a robust hazard, threat and vulnerability analysis tool (HVA). e-VAST™ allows flexible risk identification to match hospital needs and services and creates a retained and changeable tool to better meet disaster planning. At present this process is either done through a paper form or an online excel spread sheet. This process has significant limitations as it neither challenges the input of the data, nor retains the thought process behind the risk assessment. Nor do these forms prompt planning, training or tracking
Hospitals at present are required by their accreditation entity JCAHO to do a hazard, threat and vulnerability analysis as part of their over all disaster planning process. Preparing an HVA requires identification of hazards that might befall the hospital ranging from natural disasters, to man made to technological. Once identified the disaster is considered for its likelihood of occurrence and the severity of impact in human terms and in business terms. The likelihood of the hazard is then contrasted to the facilities (and communities) readiness to respond. Hence a scoring results that is generally a mathematical calculation of risk times severity minus preparation. Although required by JCAHO many hospitals at present trivialize this process or do not understand its import. This is in part due to a lack of understanding of why HVAs are critical to the planning process and in part and in part due to the fact that the “canned” forms now available simply allow you to enter any number with explanation or consideration. This leads to a misimpression of where real threats or risk lie in a hospital and also makes the tool of less value in using its results to determine where a hospital should spend its time and energies in training and response planning. e-VAST™ requires not only scoring to be in putted into the program but also requires the user to in put the thought process behind the scoring. Not only that but e-VAST™ has a risk logic scoring system that becomes a guide for highlighting areas of risk that need further review. Finally because e-VAST™ retains its knowledge it can be reviewed by committees or individuals at any time. It is hoped that the use of this tool will create a link between risk and response and that areas highlighted that need further focus will, with enhanced work and planning , show improvement in scoring.
