Assessing the effectiveness of education and training for humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) aboard the USNS Comfort during Operation Continuing Promise 2011

The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) was established in 2008 under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21. The Center serves as an academic center of excellence for the development and dissemination of core curriculum and competencies in order to prepare the nation for natural and man-made disasters and other catastrophic public health events. In 2010, as a part of its strategic plan, the NCDMPH completed an education and training needs assessment for medical personnel aboard the USS Iwo Jima during Operation Continuing Promise 2010. The purpose of Operation Continuing Promise is to train U.S. military personnel in conjunction with civilian non-governmental personnel for disasters response, while providing humanitarian assistance to partner nationals in the Caribbean and Latin America. Findings from this needs assessment were used to drive the development of curriculum priorities and training for Operation Continuing Promise 2011 aboard the USNS Comfort. A mixed method approach was used to assess the effectiveness of an education and training curriculum provided to medical personnel in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster response core competencies. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine if formal education and training provided had an impact and resulted in perceived changes in knowledge, sills and attitudes among embarked medical personnel. The Kirkpatrick training evaluation model was used as the theoretical basis of the evaluation and to generate the hypotheses to be tested. Final data collection will occur on August 5, 2011 and results, conclusions and recommendations generated at that time.