Changes in Disaster Awareness of Hospital Staff Due to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and Prediction of the Number of Staffs Able to Come to Work in the Event of Disaster

Introduction: Every year, Mie University Hospital carries out disaster preparedness drills simulating earthquakes. As a part of the drills, a survey is performed to assess disaster awareness of the hospital staff. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in disaster awareness before and after the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024 and to predict the number of hospital staff who can come to work in the event of a disaster. Methods: A survey was conducted using Google Forms and ask the hospital staffs questions regarding (1) job category, (2) ability to get to work, (3) time required to get to work, (4) disaster response plans in family, and (5) environment and preparedness for “Simulation whether employees can come to work in the event of disaster.” Results: Of 2,276 hospital staff, 1,027 (45.1%) responded to the survey. Compare to 2023, there was a significant increase in the percentages of respondents who had established meeting places and communication methods at the time of a disaster (2023 vs 2024; 41.3% vs 53.1%, p < 0.0001) and who had discussed evacuation plans with their families (40.4% vs 54.8%, p < 0.0001). The “Simulation whether employees can come to work in the event of disaster” showed that 46.7% (321/688) of staff who responded that to would be able to come to work in the survey were expected to come to work. The reasons for being unable to come to work were “having children” and “lack of transportation.” Conclusion: The Noto Peninsula earthquake raised disaster preparedness awareness among staffs and their families. However, the actual number of staff who can come to work at the time of a disaster is considered limited. To improve the issue, addressing family care needs such as childcare and securing transportation are essential.