[Survey of dental healthcare system preparedness for large-scale disaster].
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the state of preparation of the dental healthcare system for a large-scale disaster in terms of health-related crisis management by public health centers (PHCs). Questionnaires were sent by e-mail to 549 PHCs. The response rate was 51.4%. The results showed that the percentage of preparedness for a large-scale disaster was only 26.2% and the dental healthcare system has not been constructed nationwide, especially among PHCs located in areas with smaller populations. The main reasons given for why such a dental healthcare system has not been effectively established were related to lack of concern about such a crisis and a sense that the situation is not critical. Nevertheless, PHCs have made progress in assigning dentists and dental hygienists to the dental healthcare system in preparation for a large-scale disaster.
Teraoka
Kayo
K
Section of Oral Health Care Education, Department of Oral Health Care Promotion, School of Oral Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
Kawahara
Kazuo
K
D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000639:trends*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007564:Japan