Overview
ISO/PAS 23617:2024 - Healthcare organization management: Pandemic response (respiratory) - Guidance on medical support for socially vulnerable groups provides practical guidance for planning and delivering essential social welfare services and medical support to socially vulnerable groups during a respiratory epidemic disaster. The document helps humanitarian aid providers, local communities and healthcare organizations coordinate minimum multi‑sectoral responses that respect human dignity and prioritize those most at risk.
Key topics and requirements
- Definition and scope
- Clarifies terms such as respiratory epidemic disaster, socially vulnerable group, elderly person, person with disability and health literacy.
- Types and vulnerabilities
- Classifies vulnerable groups by physical, environmental and financial factors and describes common vulnerabilities (communication, mobility, susceptibility to infection).
- Essential social welfare services
- Communication support for people with sensory, language or cognitive barriers.
- Mobility assistance services (e.g., evacuation help, transport, wheelchair access).
- Personal care support for people requiring assistance with daily activities and medical equipment.
- Infection prevention and control in community facilities and service settings.
- Essential medical support
- Guidance on setting priorities for medical services for vulnerable groups.
- Integration of infection prevention measures with essential medical support.
- Basic preparations for delivering medical support safely during infectious disease outbreaks.
- Tools and aids
- Annex A: checklist for preparation of vulnerable groups for respiratory infectious diseases to guide preparedness and response planning.
Practical applications and users
This ISO/PAS is intended for organizations and individuals responsible for protecting socially vulnerable populations during respiratory pandemics, including:
- Public health authorities and emergency planners
- Healthcare organizations and clinical managers
- Social welfare and community service providers
- Humanitarian aid agencies and NGOs
- Local governments, long‑term care facilities and community rehabilitation centres
Practical uses:
- Develop or update pandemic response plans that prioritize vulnerable groups.
- Design targeted communication strategies for low health literacy and non‑native language speakers.
- Coordinate cross‑sector support (medical + social services) and resource allocation.
- Implement infection prevention measures tailored to communal living and care‑dependent populations.
Related standards
Referenced terminology and related documents include ISO/IEC directives and standards cited in the text, such as ISO 5472:2022, ISO/IEC TR 20322:2023, ISO 21856:2022, and ISO 7101:2023. ISO/TC 304 (Healthcare organization management) prepared the document.
Keywords: ISO/PAS 23617:2024, pandemic response, respiratory epidemic disaster, socially vulnerable groups, essential social welfare services, medical support, infection prevention, communication support, mobility assistance, health literacy.