Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T13:51:17.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Disaster Preparedness in Primary Care: Ready or Not?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2018

Micheleen Hashikawa  and
Katherine J. Gold
Micheleen Hashikawa*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Katherine J. Gold
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Micheleen Hashikawa, MD, Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr, Lobby H, Suite 2300, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (e-mail: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Purpose

To assess perceptions and attitudes toward disasters and disaster planning among outpatient primary care leaders.

Methods

Written surveys and semi-structured interviews of non-physician clinical managers and physician medical directors were conducted using the 2009 H1N1 pandemic as a case-based scenario at 5 university-affiliated family medicine clinics. Domains assessed included perceived pandemic threat; value, existence, and barriers to creating personal disaster plans; staff absenteeism estimates; barriers to work attendance. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis with identification and coding of common themes, respectively.

Results

All 12 invited leaders participated and believed a personal disaster plan was important but only 2 had plans. None had ever discussed with their staff the importance of having a personal disaster plan. Two common barriers in creating a plan were low threat perception level and never considering the possibility of pandemic influenza. Only half of respondents could list common barriers preventing staff from working. Staff were confident employees would come to work during a disaster.

Conclusion

Outpatient primary care leaders may hold misconceptions regarding future disasters, underestimate their potential impact on clinics, and lack personal preparedness. Further investigation and interventions are needed to ensure clinics can be prepared so they can function and help hospital and emergency services when disasters strike. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:644–648)

Keywords

disaster planningpandemicsinfluenzahuman
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 12 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 644 - 648
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Patel, MS, Phillips, CB, Pearce, C, Kljakovic, M, Dugdale, P, Glasgow, N. General practice and pandemic influenza: a framework for planning and comparison of plans in five countries. PLoS One. 2008;3:e2269.Google Scholar
2. Hodge, JG Jr, Brown, EF. Assessing liability for health care entities that insufficiently prepare for catastrophic emergencies. JAMA. 2011;306:308-309.Google Scholar
3. Hanfling, D. When the bells toll: engaging healthcare providers in catastrophic disaster response planning. South Med J. 2013;106:7-12.Google Scholar
4. Lauer, J, Kastner, J, Nutsch, A. Primary care physicians and pandemic influenza: an appraisal of the 1918 experience and an assessment of contemporary planning. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2008;14:379-386.Google Scholar
5. Hashim, A, Jean-Gilles, L, Hegermann-Lindencrone, M, Shaw, I, Brown, C, Nguyen-Van-Tam, J. Did pandemic preparedness aid the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009? A qualitative analysis in seven countries within the WHO European region. J Infect Public Health. 2012;5:286-296.Google Scholar
6. Hughes, RT, Trantham, P. When disaster strikes, humanity becomes our patient. Perm J. 2011;15:e118-e122.Google Scholar
7. Huntington, MK, Gavagan, TF. Disaster medicine training in family medicine: a review of the evidence. Fam Med. 2011;43:13-20.Google Scholar
8. World Health Organization. Epidemic alert and response: WHO checklist for influenza pandemic preparedness planning. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/influenza/FluCheck6web.pdf. Accessed December 20, 2016.Google Scholar
9. Sandelowski, M. What’s in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Res Nurs Health. 2010;33:77-84.Google Scholar
10. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). Global Terrorism Database. http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/. Accessed August 23, 2017.Google Scholar
11. Blessman, J, Skupski, J, Jamil, M, et al. Barriers to at-home-preparedness in public health employees: implications for disaster preparedness training. J Occup Environ Med. 2007;49:318-326.Google Scholar
12. Freedy, JR, Simpson, WM Jr. Disaster-related physical and mental health: a role for the family physician. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75:841-846.Google Scholar
13. Johnson, K. Katrina made police choose between duty and loved ones. USA Today. 2006. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-20-neworleanspolice_x.htm Accessed December 20, 2016.Google Scholar
14. Qureshi, K, Gershon, RR, Sherman, MF, et al. Health care workers’ ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. J Urban Health. 2005;82:378-388.Google Scholar
15. The Associated Press. About 25 nurses fired for not working during Hurricane Frances. The Florida Times-Union, Jacsonville.com. http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/090904/D8500GT80.shtml. Accessed December 20, 2016.Google Scholar
16. Martin, SD. Nurses’ ability and willingness to work during pandemic flu. J Nurs Manag. 2011;19:98-108.Google Scholar
17. Koh, D, Lim, MK, Chia, SE, et al. Risk perception and impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on work and personal lives of healthcare workers in Singapore: what can we learn? Med Care. 2005;43:676-682.Google Scholar
18. Collins, N, Litt, J, Moore, M, Winzenberg, T, Shaw, K. General practice: professional preparation for a pandemic. Med J Aust. 2006;185:S66-S69.Google Scholar
19. American Public Health Association. How to get ready for an emergency at work. http://www.getreadyforflu.org/workemergency.htm. Accessed December 20, 2016.Google Scholar