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The Preparedness of Primary Health Care Network in terms of Emergency Risk Communication: A Study in Iran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2021

Zeinab Bagheri ,
Tahereh Dehdari  and
Masoud Lotfizadeh
Zeinab Bagheri
Affiliation:
Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Tahereh Dehdari*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Masoud Lotfizadeh
Affiliation:
Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Tahereh Dehdari, Emails: dehdari.t@iums.ac.ir, dehdarit@yahoo.com.
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Abstract

Objective:

Emergency Risk Communication (ERC) is known as 1 of the important components of an effective response to public health emergencies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the preparedness of the Primary Health Care Network (PHCN) of Iran in terms of the ERC.

Methods:

This study was conducted in 136 Primary Health Care Facilities (PHCFs) affilated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. Data in terms of ERC were collected using a checklist developed by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Results:

The findings of the study revealed that 65.9% of the PHCFs had low preparedness in terms of the ERC, 33.3% had a moderate level and 0.8% had high preparedness in this regard. There was a significant difference between the level of ERC and the history of crisis in the past year, PHCF type, and the education level of the responsible employees in the crisis unit in the PHCF.

Conclusions:

The results showed that the PHCFs studied need to increase their capacity and capability in the field of ERC. Further efforts to provide ERC components may increase the preparedness of PHCN in Iran in terms of the ERC.

Keywords

emergency risk communicationIranpublic health emergencyprimary health care
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 1466 - 1475
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2021

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