Results of an Occupational Health Needs Assessment in Energy Impacted Communities

Objective: Energy and extractive industries are dominant employers in Wyoming, a state with the current highest national workplace fatality rate. Workplace injuries in these sectors provide challenges to healthcare professionals, especially in rural states. Our objective is to identify occupational health experiences and training gaps of healthcare providers. Methods: An 8-item electronic survey was created and pilot-tested to quantify experiences with injuries from these sectors, desire for training, and training format preferences. The survey will be distributed via email to nurses, pharmacists, EMTs, firefighters, PAs, NPs, and physicians through the state health department, licensing boards and professional societies. Descriptive statistics will be used to report healthcare provider experiences, training needs, and training format preferences. Results: The instrument has face and content validity. Analysis is pending instrument returns. Implications: Local energy and mining injuries likely pose healthcare challenges that are not met by our current training system. Faculty in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Business intend to meet identified healthcare training needs by developing an innovative interdisciplinary distance training system that combines rural community, state and university resources with content experts, targeting first responders, first receivers, providers, and others caring for injured energy and mine workers.