Assessing the Readiness and Training Needs of Non-urban Physicians in Public Health Emergency and Response

Emergency readiness has become a public health priority for United States communities after the 9/11 attacks. Communities that have a less developed public health infrastructure are challenged to organize preparedness and response efforts and to ensure that health care providers are capable of carin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Disaster management & response 2005-10, Vol.3 (4), p.106-111
Main Authors: Hsu, Chiehwen Ed, Mas, Francisco Soto, Jacobson, Holly, Papenfuss, Richard, Nkhoma, Ella T., Zoretic, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude of Health Personnel
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disaster Planning - methods
Educational Status
Emergency Medical Services - statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Needs Assessment
Nursing
Professional Practice - statistics & numerical data
Public Health - education
Public Health - statistics & numerical data
Rural Health Services - statistics & numerical data
Texas
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Summary:Emergency readiness has become a public health priority for United States communities after the 9/11 attacks. Communities that have a less developed public health infrastructure are challenged to organize preparedness and response efforts and to ensure that health care providers are capable of caring for victims of terrorist acts. A survey was used to assess non-urban physicians' prior experience with and self-confidence in treating, and preferred training needs for responding to chemical, biologic, radiologic, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) cases. Data were collected through a mailed and Web-based survey. Although the response rate was calculated at 30%, approximately one third of the surveys were not able to be delivered. Most respondents reported never having seen or treated CBRNE-inflicted cases and were not confident in their ability to diagnose or treat CBRNE cases, but many were willing to participate in a state-led response plan. Almost half of the individuals had not participated in any related training but expressed interest in receiving training in small group workshops or through CD-ROM. These results provide potential direction for strategic preparedness planning for non-urban health care providers.
ISSN:1540-2487
1540-2495
DOI:10.1016/j.dmr.2005.07.001