title: Progress and challenges of disaster health management in China: a scoping review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the importance of an effective health system response to various disasters, relevant research is still in its infancy, especially in middle- and low-income countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper provides an overview of the status of disaster health management in China, with its aim to promote the effectiveness of the health response for reducing disaster-related mortality and morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A scoping review method was used to address the recent progress of and challenges to disaster health management in China. Major health electronic databases were searched to identify English and Chinese literature that were relevant to the research aims.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The review found that since 2003 considerable progress has been achieved in the health disaster response system in China. However, there remain challenges that hinder effective health disaster responses, including low standards of disaster-resistant infrastructure safety, the lack of specific disaster plans, poor emergency coordination between hospitals, lack of portable diagnostic equipment and underdeveloped triage skills, surge capacity, and psychological interventions. Additional challenges include the fragmentation of the emergency health service system, a lack of specific legislation for emergencies, disparities in the distribution of funding, and inadequate cost-effective considerations for disaster rescue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One solution identified to address these challenges appears to be through corresponding policy strategies at multiple levels (e.g. community, hospital, and healthcare system level).
authors.affiliation: Center for Emergency and Disaster Management, School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Center for Health Management and Policy, Shandong University, Jinan, China; amigo-008@163.com.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Center for Emergency and Disaster Management, School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Center for Emergency and Disaster Management, School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yuli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Center for Emergency and Disaster Management, School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; gj.fitzgerald@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: FitzGerald
mesh_terms: D057191:Capacity Building / Q000458:organization & administration; D002681:China; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: China; disaster management; disaster response; health policy; health system