Introduction: This study aims to investigate whether healthcare professionals from distinct occupational backgrounds demonstrate increased interest in disaster response post-training. Methods: An anonymous online survey (via Google Forms) was administered immediately following the training sessions. The survey collected data on participants’ years of experience, professional categories (physicians, nurses, EMTs, administrative personnel, other healthcare professionals), and self-assessed interest in disaster response both pre- and post-training. Data from 278 participants involved in practical drills and tabletop simulations were analyzed, assessing shifts in interest levels by occupational group. Interest was rated using a 10-point scale, where 1 indicated minimal interest and 10 represented maximum interest. Results: Nurses comprised the majority of the sample (59.92%). On average, the interest level across all participants increased by approximately 1.1 points. Physicians, EMTs, and nurses initially reported higher interest levels (mean scores of 7.87,7.73, and 7.7, respectively), each averaging about 1 point higher than administrative and other healthcare professionals. Notably, administrative and other healthcare professionals initially recorded lower interest (mean scores of 6.61 and 5.83) but demonstrated a post-training increase of approximately 2 points, surpassing the overall average improvement. Conclusion: The disaster medical training program was effective in enhancing interest in disaster response across all professional groups, with the most substantial gains observed among administrative and other healthcare professionals. These groups, often attending involuntarily, likely developed a heightened appreciation for disaster preparedness through practical training, which bolstered their confidence and engagement. Such multidisciplinary training initiatives are pivotal in advancing healthcare teams’ disaster response capabilities, ultimately strengthening community resilience.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.