Challenges and Prospects for Outpatient Care in JDR Medical Team

Summary: The Japan Disaster Relief(JDR) Medical Team was classified as an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Type 2 in 2016 and reclassified in 2023. A working group has been set up to prepare the system for actual operations regularly, and the Type 2 outpatient care and Type 1 Fixed and Type 1 mobile are led by the Clinical Care 1 Working Group C1. The C1 is made up of members from multiple professions and is mainly focused on the functions required for outpatient care, and is not restricted to any particular profession, but is conducting a cross-sectional study. A SWOT analysis of the C1 activity structure and studies will be conducted to identify proactive and improvement strategies. Internal ‘strengths’ included the multidisciplinary nature of the C1 and the fact that the team members have experience in responding to disasters at home and abroad. Weaknesses included the fact that the manuals prepared were not fully utilized due to the large number of pages and the burden of reading for the team members. External factors such as limited training and drills, were cited as ‘opportunities. ‘Threats’ included improved response capabilities of other teams. It is important to develop an ambulatory care system with members comprising multiple professions, as in C1, so that the construction of a system in each department can be examined in a cross-sectional and practical manner. On the other hand, for the JDR medical team, which has limited opportunities for dispatch, it is necessary to prepare manuals and study their operation in line with normal conditions and actual activities to ensure smooth activities at the time of dispatch.