Questionnaire survey of disaster medical workers on problems in managing allergic diseases in disaster situations

Patients with allergic diseases are considered "people requiring special care" in the event of a disaster and require treatment in shelters. We conducted a questionnaire survey of disaster medical workers to evaluate current tools, such as pamphlets and consultation services, used for treating allergic patients during disasters and investigate the unmet needs of the disaster medical workers. Electronic media and lectures were the most requested methods for receiving information regarding allergies under normal circumstances, whereas smartphone applications and paper media were requested during disasters. Awareness regarding existing tools, such as the Allergy Portal, was not high, ranging from 10-30%; 66% stated that COVID-19 would have a negative impact on allergic disease response during a disaster, while 73% of disaster medical workers wanted a single point of contact for allergy response during a disaster. There were several opinions regarding requesting tools to educate patients about self-help and track patient information. These results suggest that it is necessary to expand and further disseminate allergy disease manuals, create a system to integrate inquiries about allergy treatment, and actively provide information on self-help for patients with allergies.