The Hospital Safety Index provides a snapshot of the probability that a hospital or health facility will continue to function in emergency situations, based on structural, nonstructural and functional factors, including the environment and the health services network to which it belongs. By determining a hospital’s Safety Index or score, countries and decision makers will have an overall idea of its ability to respond to major emergencies and disasters. The Hospital Safety Index does not replace costly and detailed vulnerability studies. However, because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply, it is an important first step toward prioritizing a country’s investments in hospital safety.

Determining the Hospital Safety Index is a new way of managing risk in the health sector. It allows a health facility's level of safety to be monitored over time. Safety no longer has to be a 'yes-or-no' or an 'all-or-nothing situation, but can instead be improved gradually.

The vulnerability of health facilities in dissaster situations cannot be underestimated. there is a widely held expectation that health facilities are prepared to deal with emergency situations.
Smart Hospitals is an effort to ensure that health facilities are both BAT and green.