Knowledge and attitude regarding disaster and emergency preparedness among hospital health care workers in west Java Province, Indonesia

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude regarding disaster and emergency preparedness among health care workers. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive analytical study was conducted in several public hospitals in West Java province, Indonesia. A self-administered questionnaire using modified Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) was used for data collection. This questionnaire consists of 3 components, i.e. respondent sociodemographic data, basic knowledge on emergency preparedness, and attitude towards emergency and disaster preparedness. Results: Health care workers from 9 public hospitals participated in this study by completing the questionnaire. Female comprised the majority of the respondents (70%). More than a half of the total respondents (53.2%, n=115) showed good knowledge on emergency and disaster preparedness. However, slightly less than a half of the respondents (46.8%, n=101) still had poor knowledge. The respondents’ attitude toward emergency preparedness was generally positive as most of them (75.9%, n=164) expressed a positive attitude although some still reflected negative attitudes towards it (24.1%, n=42). Conclusion: There is a need to improve the overall knowledge on emergency preparedness among the respondents in order to achieve good hospital disaster preparedness. The positive attitude reflects the acceptability of emergency preparedness among health care workers. Therefore, routine emergency planning and drills should be integrated into the emergency and disaster management program in hospital as investments to achieve good hospital emergency and disaster management.