Factors related to the disaster preparedness of patients on haemodialysis from Sichuan, China, during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.
Linfang Zhu, Yang Liu, Sijian Li and 3 others
PMID 39180141WHAT IT FOUND
Of 446 haemodialysis patients in Sichuan, 188 were poorly prepared for disasters.
Only 33.63% had a ready disaster kit. Preparedness was associated with disaster knowledge, drills and confidence.
Key findings
01Of 446 patients on haemodialysis, 188 (42.15%) were poorly prepared, 117 (26.23%) were moderately prepared and 141 (31.61%) were highly prepared.
02Only 33.63% of patients had a disaster kit ready, while 42.83% had a medical ID bracelet and 35.20% had a designated meeting place.
03Knowing about disaster preparedness, participating in disaster drills and learning about disaster preparedness were associated with a high level of preparedness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Patients were recruited by convenience from six dialysis centres, so selection bias is possible and the group may not represent all haemodialysis patients. The survey was done in Sichuan during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the questionnaire did not include COVID-19 preparedness, so results may not apply to other settings or disasters. Participants reported preparedness for an imagined earthquake, fire or flood, not for an actual disaster they had faced. The cross-sectional design cannot show that knowledge, drills, education or confidence caused better preparedness. The questionnaire was not further psychometrically validated in this study, and nurse managers read or entered responses for some participants, which may have affected answers.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the associations as proof that disaster education improves preparedness. This was a cross-sectional survey of self-reported readiness for an imagined disaster, and it did not test any education programme.