Disaster Preparedness: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Hospital Staff

Abstract

Background: A disaster, as a serious disruption in the functioning of society, may cause extensive damage. Following a disaster, the demand for healthcare increases, and people rush to healthcare centers. In such situations, health staff and medical services play an important role. As a result, people’s knowledge, attitude, and practice toward disaster preparedness in the workplace play an important role in accident prevention. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of hospital staff to prepare for disasters in 2020. A total number of 350 hospital staff working at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected using the cluster sampling method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the data and SPSS software, version 21 was used to analyze the data. Results: The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding disaster preparedness were 9.44±1.53, 39.26±4.8, and 7.26±3.66, respectively. In addition, 74.5%, 89.5%, and 29.2% of participants showed good knowledge, attitude, and practice, respectively. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and attitude (r=254, P<0.001), knowledge and practice (r=205, P<0.001), and attitude and practice (r=161, P=0.004). Conclusion: Results revealed a good level of knowledge and attitude and a moderate level of practice in hospital staff in terms of disaster preparedness. It seems necessary to hold both theoretical and practical training programs as well as operational maneuvers with an emphasis on repetition in appropriate intervals.