Which of the following lists the four core components of disaster preparedness planning in healthcare?

• A. Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
• B. Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
• C. Mitigation, Readiness, Response, and Recovery
• D. Mitigation, Preparedness, Intervention, and Recovery

Answer: (A)

In healthcare disaster planning, activities are organized into four phases that guide both preparation and action: Mitigation to reduce risks before a disaster, Preparedness to build the capacity and plans needed to respond, Response to the immediate actions during an incident to protect patients and staff, and Recovery to restore services and learn from what happened. The best list names these four phases exactly, reflecting the standard framework used in healthcare risk management. Other options use terms like Prevention, Readiness, or Intervention, which are related ideas but don’t align with the established four-phase sequence used in this context.