Application of Disaster Inventory Management System: Preliminary Results from China's Sichuan Earthquake

Abstract

Introduction:

A newly designed, humanitarian logistic system called Disaster Inventory Management System (DIMA) has been developed by the Taiwan Society of Disaster Medicine according to the structure of the Humanitarian Supply Management System (SUMA). The applicability is to be investigated.

Methods:

After the implementation of DIMA, standard education and training programs in six regional Emergency Operations Centers (rEOC) in Taiwan were organized. From July 2007 to April 2008 (Phase 1), a standardized, eight-hour logistics training program including DIMA application was completed among the staff of the six rEOCs in Taiwan. Four scenarios were provided to test the applicability of the DIMA system compared to the conventional logistics system of each rEOC. In Phase 2, the DIMA was applied to a rescue team from Taipei that was responding to the China Sichuan Earthquake that occurred on 12 May 2008.

Results:

The error rate of information for Phase 1 was approximately 3.5% (donor = 1%; consignment = 1%; ware houses = 1%; and central feedback = 0.5%), which was significandy lower than that of the information from the indi vidual logistics systems of the six rEOCs (12%, p <0.01). A five-point scoring system concerning the satisfaction obtained from 178 trainees revealed higher satisfaction of the DIMA in transparencies (92 ±10 points vs. 66 ±12 points, p <0.001) and accountability (93 ±8 points vs. 78 ±16 points; p <0.01) compared to the conventional methods. In phase 2, the error rate of information was about 2.4% (donor = 0.6%; consignment = 0.5%; warehouses = 0.8%; and central feedback 0.5%), which was significantly lower dian that of information by conventional logistics systems (8%, p <0.01).

Conclusions:

The DIMA system is a transparent and efficient humanitarian management system. More practice may reduce the error rate in the future.