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What Kinds of Skills Are Necessary for Physicians Involved in International Disaster Response?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

Norihito Noguchi ,
Satoshi Inoue ,
Chisato Shimanoe ,
Kaoru Shibayama ,
Hitomi Matsunaga ,
Sae Tanaka ,
Akina Ishibashi  and
Koichi Shinchi
Norihito Noguchi*
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan Department of Nursing, Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
Satoshi Inoue
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
Chisato Shimanoe
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
Kaoru Shibayama
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan Department of Nursing, Saga-Ken Medical Centre Koseikan, Saga, Japan
Hitomi Matsunaga
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
Sae Tanaka
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
Akina Ishibashi
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
Koichi Shinchi
Affiliation:
Department of Community and International Health Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
*
Correspondence: Norihito Noguchi, RN, PHN, MSN Department of Community and International Health Nursing Faculty of Medicine Saga University 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga City Saga, Japan 849-8501 E-mail: 13624019@edu.cc.saga-u.ac.jp, alstott40_tampa@yahoo.co.jp
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Abstract

Introduction

Physicians are key disaster responders in foreign medical teams (FMTs) that provide medical relief to affected people. However, few studies have examined the skills required for physicians in real, international, disaster-response situations.

Problem

The objectives of this study were to survey the primary skills required for physicians from a Japanese FMT and to examine whether there were differences in the frequencies of performed skills according to demographic characteristics, previous experience, and dispatch situations to guide future training and certification programs.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey used a self-administered questionnaire given to 64 physicians with international disaster-response site experience. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics (sex, age, years of experience as a physician, affiliation, and specialty), previous experience (domestic disaster-relief experience, international disaster-relief experience, or disaster medicine training experience), and dispatch situation (length of dispatch, post-disaster phase, disaster type, and place of dispatch). In addition, the frequencies of 42 performed skills were assessed via a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the participants’ characteristics and total scores as the frequencies of performed skills. Mean scores for surgical skills, health care-related skills, public health skills, and management and coordination skills were compared according to the demographic characteristics, previous experience, and dispatch situations.

Results

Fifty-two valid questionnaires (81.3% response rate) were collected. There was a trend toward higher skill scores among those who had more previous international disaster-relief experience (P=.03). The more disaster medicine training experience the participants had, the higher their skill score was (P<.001). Physicians reported involvement in 23 disaster-relief response skills, nine of which were performed frequently. There was a trend toward higher scores for surgical skills, health care-related skills, and management and coordination skills related to more disaster medicine training experience.

Conclusion

This study’s findings can be used as evidence to boost the frequency of physicians’ performed skills by promoting previous experience with international disaster relief and disaster medicine training. Additionally, these results may contribute to enhancing the quality of medical practice in the international disaster relief and disaster training curricula.

NoguchiN, InoueS, ShimanoeC, ShibayamaK, MatsunagaH, TanakaS, IshibashiA, ShinchiK. What Kinds of Skills Are Necessary for Physicians Involved in International Disaster Response?Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(4):397–406.

Keywords

disasterdisaster reliefforeign medical teaminternational disaster responsephysicians
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 31 , Issue 4 , August 2016 , pp. 397 - 406
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2016 

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