Jennifer Horney, MA, MPH

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• Jennifer Horney, MA, MPH
• Pia MacDonald, PhD, MPH
• North Carolina Center for Public Health
  Preparedness
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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FOCUS on Field Epidemiology

• Online field epidemiology periodical
• North Carolina Center for Public Health
  Preparedness (NCCPHP) Training Web Site
• Developed to increase competency of public health
  workers to respond to public health emergencies

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FOCUS Background

• Each issue includes
• PowerPoint presentation
• Speaker notes
• Questions / answers for group discussion
• Optional interactive quiz for CEUs

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FOCUS Survey Goals

• Determine ways FOCUS is distributed beyond
  listserv and size of distribution
• Identify benefits of FOCUS to individuals
• Ascertain use of FOCUS as a training requirement
  within organizations
• Ascertain how trainers use FOCUS to create
  workshops

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FOCUS Survey Goals

• Describe occupational groups who use FOCUS
• Ascertain if and how faculty use FOCUS materials
• Determine whether FOCUS is used as a resource
  when textbooks not available

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FOCUS Survey Methods

• Survey administered online via SurveyMonkey
  system
• Link to survey sent to FOCUS listserv members on
  March 17, 2005
• 1,928 valid email addresses
• 2 reminder emails

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FOCUS Survey Findings

• 617 respondents, 32 response rate
• Occupational categories of respondents
• 29 Epidemiologists
• 24 Public Health Nurses
• 6 Health Service Managers / Directors
• 6 Environmental Health Specialists
• 4 University or College Faculty / Lecturers
• 31 Other

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FOCUS Survey Findings

• Employer classification of respondents

Other8
Hospital3
Federal Government 9
Local Government 53
University or College10
State Government 18
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Use of FOCUS Issues

• FOCUS Volume I 6 issues
• outbreak investigation, epidemic curves,
  hypothesis generation

Use n ()
Read 399 (73)
Downloaded Power Point slides 173 (32)
Gave it to colleague(s) 154 (28)
Downloaded group discussion questions 106 (19)
Downloaded speaker notes 103 (19)
Distributed issue through organization 92 (17)
Completed on-line certificate 46 (8)
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Use of FOCUS Issues

• FOCUS Volume II 3 issues
• interviewing techniques, questionnaire design

Use n ()
Read 299 (57)
Downloaded Power Point slides 111 (21)
Gave it to colleague(s) 106 (20)
Downloaded group discussion questions 77 (15)
Downloaded speaker notes 78 (15)
Distributed issue through organization 55 (11)
Completed on-line certificate 30 (6)
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Accuracy of FOCUS Survey

• 46 (8) and 30 (6) respondents completed
  certificates for FOCUS Vol. I and II,
  respectively
• We expect approximately 270 certificates issued,
  assuming similarity of respondents and
  non-respondents
• 295 completions in NCCPHP database through March
  30, 2005

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Other uses of FOCUS Issues

• 24 reported additional uses
• FOCUS used as a reference or resource
• Used FOCUS to educate others
• 8 reported they or their colleagues use
  Spanish-language editions of FOCUS

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FOCUS Distribution in Survey Sample

• 218 (35) distribute FOCUS within their
  organization

Response Range (median) No. of respondents Minimum Median Maximum
1-10 (5) 169 169 845 1,690
11-20 (15) 33 363 495 660
21-50 (35) 13 273 455 650
50 (75) 3 150 225 ---
Total 218 955 2,020 3,000
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Estimated FOCUS Distribution in Listserv
Population

• Assume similar distribution among non-respondents
  to determine overall distribution range

Response Range (median) Estimated responses Population estimated range Population estimated range Population estimated range
Response Range (median) Estimated responses Minimum Median Maximum
1-10 (5) 528 528 2,640 5,281
11-20 (15) 103 1,134 1,547 2,062
21-50 (35) 41 853 1,422 2,031
50 (75) 9 469 703 ---
Total Distribution 681 2,984 6,312 9,374
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FOCUS for Teaching and Training

• 14 used FOCUS to create an academic experience

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FOCUS for Teaching and Training

• FOCUS components used in academic experiences

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FOCUS for Individual Training

• 64 use FOCUS to meet personal training needs
• 61 have applied FOCUS skills in their job
• 63 have access to other epidemiology training
• 38 report that CEU certificates is an incentive
  to complete FOCUS issues
• 13 actually complete FOCUS issues to receive CEU
  certificates

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Satisfaction with and Benefits of FOCUS

• FOCUS meets field epidemiology training needs
• 25 completely, 45 somewhat
• Benefits of FOCUS
• 89 Easily accessible through the Internet
• 80 Easy to use
• 79 Teaches specific epidemiology skills
• 55 New periodical/information bimonthly
• 38 Access to free CEUs

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Improving FOCUS Issues

• Examples with real-life events
• Providing case scenarios and opportunities to use
  each skill
• Sending emails when new issues available
• Increasing complexity of information or creating
  a more advanced periodical

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Limitations

• Self-reported information
• Cannot verify information about distribution
• Respondents may differ from non-respondents
• Item comprehension

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Conclusions

• FOCUS meets training needs for a variety of
  public health professionals
• FOCUS meets both individual and organizational
  training needs
• FOCUS is distributed in multiple ways
• FOCUS may reach an audience of 3,000 to 9,400

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Thank You