Survey of Emergency Plan and Tornado Preparedness during Well Child Checks for Physicians in Oklahoma

摘要

Importance: Oklahoma is known for and prone to natural disasters such as tornados, which pose a life-threatening danger to children and their families. Pediatricians and family medicine physicians are a front-line resource on disaster preparedness education and their engagement in discussing disaster preparedness with patients and families should be studied. Objective: To determine whether pediatricians and family medicine physicians in Oklahoma are discussing emergency preparedness for natural disasters with their patients and families during well child visits and to identify barriers to these discussions Design: A 19-question survey was distributed via direct email and attached to weekly newsletters to Oklahoman physicians between June 2016 and February 2017. Upon completion of the study, participants were provided a one-page handout regarding tornado and emergency preparedness that could be given to their patients. Setting: The Qualtrics survey was disseminated and completed electronically. Participants: Eligible participants included 1,753 pediatricians and family medicine physicians licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and similar physicians licensed with the Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners. Main Outcome and Measure: Do physicians in Oklahoma address disaster planning during well child checks? The measure was a survey of primary care physicians. Results: A total of 100 participants completed the survey. Nine participants reported they present information on what to do during a tornado while 17 physicians reported discussing having an emergency plan for natural disasters with families and patients. Experienced providers and those previously affected by a natural disaster were more likely to discuss the information. Numerous barriers were identified, with a lack of time being the most sited. Conclusions and Relevance: Few pediatricians and family medicine physicians in Oklahoma are providing anticipatory guidance for tornados and/or discussing emergency plans. The majority of participants stated that emergency preparedness was not a high priority. Future research should focus on mitigating barriers for these discussions between physicians and their patients.