Disaster healthcare system management and crisis intervention leadership in Thailand--lessons learned from the 2004 Tsunami disaster.
BACKGROUND
Quarantelli established criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of disaster management.


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to analyze the response of the healthcare system to the Tsunami disaster according to the Quarantelli principles, and to validate these principles in a scenario of a disaster due to natural hazards.


METHODS
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command Medical Department sent a research team to study the response of the Thai medical system to the disaster. The analysis of the disaster management was based on Quarantelli's 10 criteria for evaluating the management of community disasters. Data were collected through personal and group interviews.


RESULTS
The three most important elements for effective disaster management were: (1) the flow of information; (2) overall coordination; and (3) leadership. Although pre-event preparedness was for different and smaller scenarios, medical teams repeatedly reported a better performance in hospitals that recently conducted drills.


CONCLUSIONS
In order to increase effectiveness, disaster management response should focus on: (1) the flow of information; (2) overall coordination; and (3) leadership.
Peltz
Rami
R
Israeli Defense Forces Home Front Command.
Ashkenazi
Issac
I
Schwartz
Dagan
D
Shushan
Ofer
O
Nakash
Guy
G
Leiba
Adi
A
Levi
Yeheskel
Y
Goldberg
Avishay
A
Bar-Dayan
Yaron
Y
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D007857:Leadership; D013785:Thailand