Post Earthquake Health Information Management in Japan—the Challenges

On March 11, 2011, a megathrust earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit Japan, causing destruction of homes, large-scale fires, giant tsunami, and demolition of nuclear power plants in the Tohoku region on the northeastern coast of Japan. This article focuses on the response of the Japan Hospital Association (JHA) and the Japan Society of Health Information Management (JHIM) to the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake, the results of their efforts, the invaluable lessons learned from the disaster, and the recommendations arising from discussions during symposia held at JHIM’s 38th and 39th annual meetings, held in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Other major disasters caused by earthquakes, tsunami, and hurricanes have occurred in recent years, including the 7.2-magnitude Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 and the 6.8-magnitude Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake of 2007 in Japan, the 9.2-magnitude Sumatra Earthquake of 2004, and the 8.2-magnitude Iquique Earthquake of 2014 in Chile. Based on the unprecedented major earthquake disaster that occurred in Japan, this article analyzes the status of health information management in Japan at the time of the disaster and considers its implications in relation to health information management at times of disasters that potentially may strike around the world at any time.