Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Challenges of prehospital aerial operations in response to earthquake hazards: A qualitative study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Seyed Hossein Mousavi 1
. Hamidreza Khankeh 2
. Golrokh Atighechian 3
. Mohammad H. Yarmohammadian 4
. Mehrdad Memarzadeh 5

1 Department of Health in Disaster and Emergencies, School of Management and Medical Information Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Research Center for Emergency and Disaster Health, The University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

4 Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

5 Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Craniofacial and Cleft Research Center, Imam Hossein Children Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUNDS: Due to the severity of the earthquake, it may need immediate treatment and
transfer of the injured people to advanced medical centers, as well as dispatch of the expert team
and specialized health equipment to the accident‑affected area. Aerial emergency is an important
responsibility of the health care system in this situation. The study aimed to extract the prehospital
emergency challenges of Iran aerial operations emergency in response to the earthquake.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was qualitative content analysis with conventional
approach. Sampling was done in a purposive method and data were collected through semi‑structured
interview. The panel involved consists of 26 health professionals in medical emergencies. Recorded
interviews were transcribed into written and then conventional content analysis was used to derive
coding categories directly from the text data.
RESULTS: Content analysis is provided 97 initial codes, 20 subcategories and 4 main categories
including challenges of “response assessment,” “support,” ”pre‑hospital staff‑management,” and
“response operation,” respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the necessity to assess the affected area, staffing, and
management actions, including integrated operations command and the development of a dedicated
response plan, as well as the use of strategies inter‑organizational coordination in the response
phase to earthquake. This study also emphasized that providing standard equipment, support actions,
and strengthening communication infrastructure, and updating the aerial emergency system should
be considered as one of the priorities of the emergency organization of Iran to provide a desired
response to the earthquake.

Keywords

Aerial emergency
challenges
disasters
earthquake
Iran
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 12, Issue 7
August 2022
Pages 1-10

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