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Emergency Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions of Preparedness and Willingness to Work during Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2023

Mohammed Sultan ,
Jarle Løwe Sørensen ,
Eric Carlström ,
Luc Mortelmans  and
Amir Khorram-Manesh
Mohammed Sultan
Affiliation:
Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden Healthcare Transformation, Model of Care, Regional Health Directorate, Najran, Saudi Arabia
Jarle Løwe Sørensen
Affiliation:
USN School of Business, Campus Vestfold, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
Eric Carlström
Affiliation:
Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
Luc Mortelmans
Affiliation:
Center for Research and Education in Emergency Care, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Amir Khorram-Manesh
Affiliation:
Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Abstract

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Introduction:

This study evaluates the perceptions of preparedness and willingness to work during disasters and public health emergencies among 213 healthcare workers from 10 ministries of health hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia, which is exposed to the risk of disasters such as flash floods in wadis, fires, sandstorms, armed conflicts at the border and ongoing waves of COVID-19 pandemic.

Method:

This study employed a quantitative research design by using a survey (Fight or Flight).

Results:

The results showed that participants' willingness to work unconditionally during disasters and emergencies varied based on the type of condition: natural disasters (61.97%), seasonal influenza pandemic (52.58%), smallpox pandemic (47.89%), SARS/COVID-19 pandemic (43.56%), special flu pandemic (36.15%), mass shooting (37.56%), chemical incident and bombing threats (31.92%), biological events (28.17%), Ebola outbreaks (27.7%), and nuclear incident (24.88%).

Conclusion:

Among several factors that determine healthcare workers’ willingness to work during disasters and public health emergencies, appropriate knowledge and skills to confidently manage an incident and the assurance of their families’ safety are two decisive factors. Although we could only find a significant correlation between education and willingness to work during emergencies, previous reports have confirmed a significant correlation between education, age, and years of experience and the perception of hazards and fear and consequently willingness to work under threatening circumstances. While unsuccessful management of disasters and emergencies may be the result of organizational shortcomings and resource scarcity, healthcare workers’ lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence and emotional distractions due to uncertainty about their own safety and that of their families may also play a significant role. Besides educational initiatives, which increase staff members’ confidence through knowledge acquisition and skill improvement, other measures, which guarantee their families’ safety and well-being during an emergency, should be established and implemented.

Type
Poster Presentations
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Supplement S1: 22nd Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine , May 2023 , pp. s193 - s194
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine