Assessment of Quarantine-Related Training Needs

The Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing a multistage assessment of quarantine and border health-related training needs to discover how CDC may help improve the nation's readiness to detect and respond to a range of health threats.

Stage 1 is an internal assessment of the training needs of DGMQ field staff. A working group to engage quarantine partner agencies is also included in Stage 1 of the needs assessment. Partners in the working group include such groups as U.S. Customs and Border Protection; airlines; the maritime industry (including cruise lines, cargo vessels, and shipping agents); U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; emergency medical services; and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Stage 2 includes key informant interviews and a stratified, Web-based survey of DGMQ staff at each quarantine station and a sample of frontline partner agency staff at U.S. ports of entry. The purpose of the survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to public health roles and barriers and preferences related to training and communication.

This session includes an overview of the methods employed and the results from the first stage of the research. The training and education needs of DGMQ staff provide guidance for CDC staff responsible for personnel development while offering training suggestions for local public health and quarantine stakeholders. The findings from Stage 2 will provide further guidance and concrete suggestions for how CDC may assist its quarantine and border health service stakeholders.