141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

280696
Nonpharmaceutical interventions for pandemic influenza: An assessment of communication, training, and guidance needs of state, tribal, local, and territorial public health officials

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Jasmine Kenney, MPH , Community Inteventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
Kathryn Maddox, MPH, MCHES , Freelancer and Consultant
Julie Suzuki Crumly, Ph.D, MCHES , ORISE
Noreen Qualls, DrPH, MSPH , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
State, tribal, local, and territorial public health officials (STLTs) play a key role in communicating, implementing, and monitoring nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for pandemic influenza control. We conducted an assessment to identify the NPI communication, training, and guidance needs of STLTs. The needs assessment was implemented during 2012 in two phases. During Phase 1, key informant interviews were conducted with representatives (n=8) from 5 national partner organizations that represent state, tribal, local and territorial health departments. The interviews helped identify common NPI-related issues and informed the development of a web-based survey. During Phase 2, 346 members of these organizations received the survey and 267 completed the survey (77% response rate). The majority (78%) were from local or tribal health departments. The top areas of need for NPI communication, training, and guidance were identified based on weighted rankings. For NPI communication, our main finding was 71% of respondents preferred communicating with the general public as a primary audience. For NPI training, our main finding was 42% of respondents wanted information on NPI strategies and triggers for using NPIs. For NPI guidance, our main finding was 59% of respondents wanted information on triggers for implementing NPIs. The results of the assessment will inform the revision of NPI materials, development of an NPI web-based training course for STLTs, update of the 2007 Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States, and development of a dissemination plan for NPI materials and guidance documents.

Learning Areas:
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control

Learning Objectives:
Describe at least one of the topics covered by CDC’s pandemic influenza NPI needs assessment of state, tribal, local, and territorial public health officials. Identify at least two areas of need for pandemic influenza NPI communications. Identify at least two areas of need for pandemic influenza NPI training. Identify at least two areas of need for pandemic influenza NPI guidance.

Keywords: Communication, Assessments

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I, Jasmine Kenney, am qualified to present, as I lead formative health communication evaluations to help mitigate the impact of pandemic influenza. I serve as a health communicator, contracted with CDC, for the Community Interventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU). No conflict of interest.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.