Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the intentions and actions of healthcare-related educational institutions with respect to safety confirmation during a large-scale disaster and also to use the results as a basis for developing a disaster response manual. A questionnaire survey on safety confirmation activities after the Great East Japan Earthquake was mailed to 600 students and faculty members at the Chiba Prefectural University of Health Sciences, of whom 232 responded (response rate: 38.8%). The survey results revealed that regardless of students and university officials most wanted to contact their family members for safety confirmation, especially their mother. It was also found that the most frequently used means of contact were mobile phones and SMS (Short Mail System) text messages. Social networking services hosted in the cloud or on overseas servers proved to be a superior contact method due to their availability without congestion, yet their utilization was low. The survey results also revealed that 55% of the students had previously discussed emergency contact methods with their family members, 35% with university officials, and 17% with practical training place. It is important to inform students and faculty members of safety confirmation methods.
