Evaluating the effectiveness of an emergency preparedness training programme for public health staff in China

Wang, Chongjian; Wei, Sheng; Xiang, Hao; Xu, Yihua; Han, Shenghong; Mkangara, Ommari Baaliy; Nie, Shaofa

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2007.08.006

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Volume 122, Issue 5 , Pages 471-477, May 2008

Evaluating the effectiveness of an emergency preparedness training programme for public health staff in China

Chongjian Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Sheng Wei
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Hao Xiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Yihua Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Shenghong Han
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Ommari Baaliy Mkangara
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Shaofa Nie
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
- Corresponding author. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan 430030, PR China. Tel.: +862762434794; fax: +862783693763.

Received 23 January 2007; received in revised form 11 July 2007; accepted 7 August 2007.

Summary

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) crisis of 2003 provided a new urgency in China in terms of preparing public health staff to respond effectively to public health emergencies. Although the Chinese Government has already carried out a series of emergency education and training programmes to improve public health staff's capability of emergency preparedness, it remains unclear if these training programmes are effective and feasible. The purpose of this research was to evaluate an emergency preparedness training programme and to develop a participatory training approach for emergency response.

Methods

Seventy-six public health staff completed the emergency preparedness training programme. The effectiveness of the training was evaluated by questionnaire before training, immediately after training and 12 months after training (follow-up). Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted throughout the training period.

Results

The emergency preparedness training improved the knowledge levels and increased attitudinal and behavioural intention scores for emergency preparedness (P<0.01). The results at follow-up showed that the knowledge levels and attitudinal/behavioural intention scores of participants decreased slightly (P>0.05) compared with levels immediately after training (P<0.01). However, there was a significant increase compared with before training (P<0.01). Moreover, more than 80% of participants reported that the training process and resources were scientific and feasible.

Conclusions

The emergency preparedness training programme met its aims and objectives satisfactorily, and resulted in positive shifts in knowledge and attitudinal/behavioural intentions for public health staff. This suggests that this emergency training strategy was effective and feasible in improving the capability of emergency preparedness.

Keywords: Public health emergency, Public health staff, Emergency preparedness, Emergency training, Emergency response, Evaluation, Effectiveness