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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: mhashika@med.umich.edu)
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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 

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