title: Experience from the Great East Japan Earthquake response as the basis for revising the Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) training program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to draft a new Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) training program based on the responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Working group members of the Japan DMAT Investigative Commission, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, reviewed reports and academic papers on DMAT activities after the disaster and identified items in the current Japanese DMAT training program that should be changed. A new program was proposed that incorporates these changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New topics that were identified to be added to the DMAT training program were hospital evacuation, preparations to receive DMATs at damaged hospitals, coordination when DMAT activities are prolonged, and safety management and communication when on board small helicopters. The use of wide-area transport was reviewed and changes were made to cover selection of various transport means including helicopter ambulances. Content related to confined space medicine was removed. The time spent on emergency medical information system (EMIS) practical training was increased. Redundant or similar content was combined and reorganized, and a revised DMAT training program that did not increase the overall training time was designed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The revised DMAT training program will provide practical training better suited to the present circumstances in Japan.
authors.affiliation: 1Emergency Medical Center,Fujisawa City Hospital,Kanagawa,Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anan
authors.affiliation: 1Emergency Medical Center,Fujisawa City Hospital,Kanagawa,Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.affiliation: 2Japan DMAT Secretariat,National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center,Tokyo,Japan.
authors.forename: Hisayoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Emergency Medicine,Hyogo Emergency Medical Center,Hyogo,Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Emergency Medicine,Yamagata Prefectural Medical Center for Emergency,Yamagata,Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morino
authors.affiliation: 5Division of Emergency and Disaster Medicine,Tottori University,Tottori,Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.affiliation: 2Japan DMAT Secretariat,National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center,Tokyo,Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koido
authors.affiliation: 6Department of Acute Critical Care and Disaster Medicine,Tokyo Medical and Dental University,Tokyo,Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otomo
mesh_terms: D054597:Disaster Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods; D055866:Earthquakes; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D007318:Inservice Training; D007564:Japan; D018635:Rescue Work
keywords: medical transportation