Disaster preparedness and awareness among medical staff in Korean dialysis units

The patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) are especially vulnerable during disasters since disasters can destroy the infrastructure necessary for proper HD treatment. This study aimed to investigate disaster experience, disaster preparedness, and cognition among medical staff in Korean HD units.

The survey instrument was adapted and modified from a validated questionnaire developed by the Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians and distributed among members of the Korean Society of Nephrology using a Google Form. Disaster preparedness was evaluated across four key domains: patient management, administrative readiness, interinstitutional networking, and facility safety measures. Disaster awareness was measured using four separate scales: risk perception, outcome expectancy, self-efficacy, and self-responsibility.

Among the 170 respondents, more than half (n = 98, 57.6%) have experienced more than one type of disaster in HD units. The power outage (41.2%) and water supply disruption (37.1%) were the most common disaster situations among Korean HD units. Implementation rates of disaster preparedness varied by domains, with the highest rates (90.6%) in the facility safety domain and the lowest rates (71.2%) in the patient management domain. Overall, the respondents showed a high sense of crisis regarding disaster (7 out of 10). Risk perception was positively correlated with administrative readiness, while outcome expectancy was positively correlated with facility safety.

There were high levels of disaster preparedness among medical staff in HD units. Cooperation between each HD unit, the Korean Society of Nephrology, and the national government should be warranted to deal with future disasters in HD units.