The KAEPacity Study Analyzes Hospital Emergency and Disaster Plans From Hospitals Across Germany to Evaluate How Well Hospitals Are Prepared for Crises and Disasters Organizational Structures Communication Leadership Training Are Examined Within These Plans No Medical Intervention is Performed

Hospital Emergency and Disaster Plans (Krankenhausalarm- und Einsatzplan-KAEP) are a central component of hospital preparedness in Germany. Despite national and international recommendations, considerable variability exists in structure, responsibilities, communication pathways, and training concepts across hospitals. This study aims to systematically analyze and compare KAEP documents from German hospitals using a structured qualitative and quantitative document analysis. The goal is to identify strengths, deficits, institutional influencing factors, and best-practice elements to support evidence-based improvements and harmonization of hospital emergency planning.

NCT Number	NCT07440329
Lead Sponsor	Lea Kölsch Collaborators: University Hospital Heidelberg, Prof. Erik Popp - Head, Department of Crisis and Disaster Management, Prof. Markus Ries - Head of Research, Department of Crisis and Disaster Management, Hanne Schäfer - Head of Operational KAEP, Department of Crisis and Disaster Management, PD Dr. med. Fabian Weykamp - Senior Physician, Department of Radiotherapy, Dr. med. Maik von der Forst - Deputy Head, Department of Crisis and Disaster Management
Conditions	Disaster Planning, Emergency Medical Services, Germany
Enrollment	319 participants
Start Date	2026-03-09
Primary Completion	2026-07-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-12-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-11