A B S T R A C TObjective: To assess the state of community disaster preparedness of Hong Kong residents and to identify factors associated with adequate preparedness behaviors. Design: A cross-sectional survey using random Global Positioning System (GPS) spatial sampling conducted from the 8 August 2015 to 6 September 2015. Participants: Hong Kong residents aged 18 years or more. Method: A 19-item questionnaire was developed to assess respondents' preparedness information acquisition, communication plan, evacuation strategies, first-aid and disaster knowledge, financial resilience, and preparedness behaviors. In total, 1023 residents were interviewed at 516 GPS locations. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with preparedness behaviors, defined as having an evacuation kit in our study. Results: Television remains the key information source, both before and during disaster, with young respondents also favoring social media and the internet and elder residents preferring television and radio. Many respondents did not have adequate first-aid knowledge and few showed correct responses to a typhoon warning signal. Only 39.4% had an evacuation kit. In logistic regression, correct responses to first aid questions and a typhoon warning signal were significantly associated with kit preparation (OR 2.023, 95% CI 1.233−3.318, p=0.005). Residents with elderly household member(s) were significantly less likely to do so (OR 0.554, 95% CI 0.333−0.922, p=0.023). Conclusions: Community resilience-building programs should tailor information provision to different age groups with a focus on the family caregivers of elderly residents. There is a need to promulgate first-aid training and disaster education in the community.

In the context of acute poisoning, the presence of unexplained tachyarrhythmias, confusion, and a negative recreational drug screen should prompt clinicians to consider synthetic cannabinoid toxicity as a differential diagnosis.

There is a lack of high-quality evidence to support the use of acupuncture in the ED. Multicentre RCTs with rigorous designs are warranted.

Given the current gaps in and needs for increased disaster preparedness training, ED doctors and nurses in Hong Kong may benefit from the development of core-competency-based training targeting the under-trained areas, measures to improve staff confidence in their workplaces, and efforts to remove barriers to staff willingness to respond. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; 12: 329-336).

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Hong Kong has established effective strategies for emergency response, but concerns regarding evacuation and mobilisation remain. The findings indicate that improving self-efficacy for disaster response has potential to increase evacuation readiness.

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