Disaster Medical Response Model in Hualien, Taiwan

Introduction: Hualien County, stretching 137.5 kilometers, is characterized by mountainous terrain that complicates external transportation. Medical resources are mainly concentrated in northern Hualien, and disaster relief efforts face huge challenges. To this end, the Hualien Health Bureau established the Hualien Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and developed the mobile application system iDMAT. The team collaborates closely with the Fire Department and receives logistical support from the NGO Tzu Chi Foundation to ensure swift and effective rescue operations. Methods: 1. Inter-agency Collaboration: Hualien DMAT is composed of medical and administrative staff from eight hospitals and works jointly with the Fire Department. EMTs arrive at the disaster scene first, setting up casualty collection points in cold zones. Hualien DMAT’s advance team then joined them to enhance patient care. Tzu Chi Foundation maintains logistics. 2. DMAT Advance Team: This team consists of one physician, two nurses, and two administrative staff members. They can quickly reach the disaster scene and initiate preliminary rescue actions, meeting the flexible needs of multi-site disasters. 3. iDMAT Development: DMAT members use the iDMAT APP to log disaster assessments and patient information in real-time. By scanning patient wristband QR codes, teams track triage, treatment, and transfer progress. All data is uploaded to the cloud, ensuring information accuracy and continuity. Results: During the 2021 Taroko train accident, the 2022 Taitung earthquake, and the 2024 Hualien 0403 earthquake, the DMAT advance team swiftly conducted on-site assessments, reporting directly to the Health Bureau via iDMAT. This real-time data sharing enables disaster relief decisions to be made promptly, while hospitals receive patient updates in advance, greatly enhancing treatment efficiency. Conclusion: Hualien’s integrated model of inter-agency collaboration and iDMAT application reduces response times and ensures continuous patient care, alleviating healthcare provider burdens. This model effectively improves disaster response capability and highlights the value of real-time information management in disaster relief.