Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110500

Karen Ann Hacker, MD, MPH¹, Justeen K. Hyde, PhD¹, Linda Sprague, MA¹, and Harold Cox, MSSW². (1) Institute for Community Health, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617-665-3829, KHacker@challiance.org, (2) Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge Public Health Department, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Level, Cambridge, MA 02139

Since 9/11, communities across the country have been developing plans to respond to potential emergent threats. Public health departments have been challenged to hone new skills and define their role in local emergency preparedness efforts. In order to determine the effectiveness of these efforts, evaluation of both process and outcome measures is critical. Most importantly, it is necessary to define the outcome of “readiness.” The Cambridge Health Department's Advanced Practice Center (APC) funded by the National Association of City and County Health Officers and the CDC is focused on improving regional emergency preparedness across 27 Massachusetts cities and towns. The project evaluation was designed to appraise effectiveness in 5 crucial target areas including; partnerships within and collaboration between the communities; development of mutual aid agreements; development of mass dispensing clinics; improvement of response knowledge and skills, and increased disease detection capacity. An initial baseline capacity assessment was completed with each local health authority. The results were used to establish criteria for progress in each area and determine factors related to "readiness". Subsequently individual department profiles were compiled to define a “readiness” index for both local and regional levels. These indices were used in a participatory manner to assist regional planning and improvement efforts. This paper will describe the evaluative process and share lessons learned from its use in emergency preparedness planning. In addition, authors will discuss the development and use of the “readiness” index in facilitating feedback among partners and motivating improvement.

Learning Objectives:

1)Develop criteria for defining an emergency preparedness "readiness" index. 2)Identify ways in which evaluation can serve to facilitate local and regional emergency planning.
• Discuss the characteristics of local health departments that are related to emergency preparedness "readiness"

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.