The willingness of and barriers to Korean health care providers participating in a humanitarian assistance field hospital responding to an urgent global health crisis.

PURPOSE: As the number of disaster and humanitarian crisis increases, there is an emphasis on the prompt dispatching of humanitarian assistance field hospitals (HAFHs) in order to relieve a disaster-stricken society as soon as possible. The participants' individual motivation constitutes one of the most important factors in achieving successful HAFH activities. The aims of this study are to evaluate health care providers' willingness to participate in HAFHs when there is an urgent global health need and to examine their motives, perceived barriers, and concerns using a simulated global disaster scenario.

RESULTS: Seventy health care providers completed a survey which asked about their willingness to join a HAFH that was being dispatched immediately. Forty-five of the 70 respondents (64.3%) answered that they were willing to join an HAFH, which departed within 24 hours of a hypothetical earthquake. The major perceived barriers to participation in an HAFH included "pre- scheduled work commitments in home institutions," "insufficient support from home institutions," and "insufficient field safety and security".

CONCLUSION: Policy-makers need to proactively establish support from the institutions that employ disaster-related health care providers, in order to secure their participation in HAFHs and to ensure optimal preparedness for global disaster relief activities.