Current status and regional differences in disaster planning and preparedness for home oxygen therapy: Insights of the Japanese White Paper on Home Respiratory Care 2024.

Background: Disaster planning and preparedness for home oxygen therapy (HOT), including regional variations, have not been fully clarified in Japan. Herein, we analyzed data from the Japanese White Paper on Home Respiratory Care 2024 to investigate the current status regarding this.

Methods: Data from medical institutions administering HOT (physician survey), patients receiving HOT (patient survey), and employees of HOT service providers (provider survey) who answered questions regarding disaster were analyzed.

Results: Data from 398 hospitals and clinics (physician survey), 280 patients (patient survey), and 297 employees from HOT service providers (provider survey) were examined. The physician survey showed that 8.8 % of medical institutions had developed plans for disaster management, and 24.9 % had provided instructions on disaster management. No regional differences in the physician survey were detected. The patient survey showed that 28.9 % of patients had prepared for a disaster, and 21.1 % had received instructions on self-management. Regional differences in patient preparedness and education were observed. Moreover, the percentage of patients who prepared for disaster was significantly higher when patients received instructions (p < 0.0001). Based on the provider survey, 77.1 % and 97.0 % of the employees had used a disaster response system and developed a manual for disaster response, respectively, and 77.4 % responded that stockpiled cylinders were adequately arranged. No regional differences in the provider survey were detected.

Conclusions: Effective disaster response, resilience building, and continuity of care for patients receiving HOT require coordinated integration of medical institutions, patients, and HOT service providers, along with active collaboration from local governments.