The Disaster Manual in a Multi-Media Style

Contents

Slide-01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10
Slide-11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Abstract
Abstract on PDM Home Page

Slide-01

The title of my presentation is "The Disaster Manual in a Multi-Media Style".

Slide-02

Japan experienced two major disasters in 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Sarin Attack in Tokyo subway system. These events inspired our society to prepare for major disasters in the future and various institutes and organizations in our country are making efforts to blush up their disaster manuals.

Slide-03

When emergency hospitals make their disaster manuals or action plans, they have to have large amount of information and knowledge about the protocols of other related organizations. We also have to keep the disaster-related laws and ordinances in mind, and moreover each information should be updated frequently. Printed documents will no more meet such demands and will be replaced by computer-based electronic media.

Slide-04

Recent information technologies enable us to distribute information via digital forms in floppy disks, magnet-optical disks, CD-ROMs, and others. Disaster manuals should not make any exceptions. There are several advantages in digitalized forms and media. First, we can put large amount of data in some very compact media. Second, the data will be easily referred. Third, it will be easily reused in the other related documents. Fourth, it is more easily to be carried than printed documents. Finally, In recent years, we can produce these media very cheaply.

Slide-05

Dramatic advancements of recent computer networking technologies, such as the Internet and Local Area Network, enable us to communicate and share information with anyone who belongs to the computer network. Having the disaster manuals on computer networks has, at least, the following advantages. First, It is easy to share the data among related organizations and individuals. Second, we can refer the latest information. Third, the data will be independent on the types of computers and browsers. Fourth, we can access to get the files from some remote servers. Finally, these systems will be cheaply set up.

Slide-06

We can develop our manuals as programs for Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) or Computer Simulation. These programs will be used efficiently in education, especially self-education for hospital staff, public officials of central and local governments, medical students and lay citizen including NGO staff and volunteers. The programs can be produced through the network or by CD-ROMs.

Slide-07

We can develop our manuals to Command Center Automation Software. It will help the Disaster Commander to accumulate and analyze the information about the damages, to make prompt decision to take control of the recovery, and to keep all the processes in record. Peripheral users can input data locally until the connection to the central database is re-established, and then the command center accumulate the local data as soon as the connection is recovered.

Slide-08

Now I have to explain why we Japanese are not very good at making electronic documents. First, we use more than 5,000 Chinese characters with Western alphabet and the numerical letters. Second, we have very short histories of using typewriters and of electronic word-processors, and consequently, we still have so-called "key-board allergy."

Slide-09

Only limited numbers of hospitals and organizations in Japan are under the way of instituting electronic disaster manuals or Command Center Automation Program. National Hospital Tokyo Disaster Medical Center, Kobe University, Ehime University, Yokosuka City Medical Association and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government are the examples.

Slide-10

In Ehime University Hospital, our manuals for disaster management are under the way of instituting. Besides circulating printed matters among hospital staff, we write our manuals in html forms and some of the information is launched from our Internet server.

The slide shows the pages which explain the triage site and the one way route for the patients transported by cars.

Slide-11

Our HTML Version Disaster Manuals will make it easy to share information among the staff even during the instituting and revising processes. It is easily downloaded in the computers of each staff. It is linked to the disaster plans of local governments and other hospitals. Record of disaster drills will also be put into the file. Our manual will make bi-directional opinion exchange easy and will be developed to CAI, simulation program or electronic incident manager. It is to be put on the official server of the national disaster information network.

Slide-12

Here I would like to explain the Wide-Area Disaster Medical Information System in which I myself is involved as one of the consultants.

It is the national disaster network in Japan and is linking municipalities, local governments, health care offices of local governments, the Ministry of Health and other governmental organizations, hospitals designated as disaster medicine operation units, EMS and the fire stations, medical associations and non- governmental organizations. It will be installed in all the 47 prefectures until year 2001. It is also used as emergency medical information system in the daily non-disaster period. It is to be given priority in the use of public telecommunication lines in disaster situation.

Slide-13

We have the backup center in Chiba Prefecture and it connects local emergency information centers by ISDN direct lines. The backup center is also connected to the Internet, and consequently it is connected to the other networks of governmental agencies, that of medical associations and NGOs, and to the citizen.

Slide-14

The Wide-Area Disaster Medical Information System is going to add three new functions in this year. First, mailing Lists for the core and local members of the Information System. Second, enriching the web pages by launching disaster information including action plans and manuals of the dedicated hospitals as disaster medicine operation units. Finally, news boards for disaster Information.

Slide-15

Web pages on the Wide-Area Disaster Medical Information System will launching following information. First, Information about preparedness of the central or local governments and medical centers. Sencond, academic fruits of Disaster Medicine including title lists and full papers of disaster journals, especially the reports of the investigations funded by the nation. Third, Information about Disaster Training Courses planned by each medical center. Finally, situation reports during Disaster.

Slide-16

Our conclusion is as follows. First, digitalizing our disaster manuals will make it easy to share information among the staff and will open the way for developing CAI, simulation programs or electronic incident manager.

Second, It is recommended to launch the information about the action plans and manuals of each institute from the official server of the Wide-Area Disaster Medical Information System.

Finally, a disaster manual in a computer-based, electronic, multi-media style will be a regular form in the next century.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Abstract

The Disaster Manual in a Multi-Media Style

Genro Ochi, M.D. , Kenji Nitta, M.D., Morishige Tanaka, Shinnya Fukumoto, M.D., Soichi Maekawa, M.D., and Yoichi Shirakawa, M.D.

Dept. of Emergency, Ehime University School of Medicine Shigenobu-Cho, Onsen-Gun, Ehime 791-0295, Japan

Japan experienced two major disasters in 1995; the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Sarin Attack in Tokyo subway system. These events inspired our society to prepare for major disasters in the future and various institutes and organizations in our country are making efforts to blush up their disaster manuals. When we make our own protocols for disaster management, we have to have large amount of information and knowledge on protocols of other related institutes and organizations. We also have to keep the laws and ordinances in mind, and moreover each information should be updated frequently. Printed documents will no more meet such demands and will be replaced by computer-based electronic media.

In Ehime University Hospital, our manuals for disaster management are under the way of instituting. Besides circulating printed matters among hospital staffs, we write our manual as a html file and some of the information is launched from our internet and intra-net servers. Our manual also includes disaster protocol of other related institutes, agreements with other organizations, and disaster-related laws and ordinances. The disaster manual in a computer-based, electronic, multi-media style will be a regular form in the next century.