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Critical Challenges Ahead in Bioterrorism Preparedness Training for Clinicians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Kari A. Hartwig ,
David Burich ,
Christopher Cannon ,
Louis Massari ,
Lloyd Mueller  and
Louise-Marie Dembry
Kari A. Hartwig*
Affiliation:
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
David Burich
Affiliation:
Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Christopher Cannon
Affiliation:
Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Louis Massari
Affiliation:
Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Lloyd Mueller
Affiliation:
Senior Epidemiologist, Department of Health, State of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Louise-Marie Dembry
Affiliation:
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
*
Assistant Clinical ProfessorSchool of MedicineDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health60 College St., Suite 318PO Box 208034Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut 06520-8034USA E-mail: kahwig@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Purpose:

A survey was distributed to determine physicians' confidence levels in recognizing potential Category-A bioterrorism disease threats (e.g., smallpox, anthrax), preferred means of obtaining continuing medical education (CME) credits, and their knowledge of the Connecticut Department of Public Health's (DPH) disease reporting requirements.

Methods:

Surveys were mailed to all physicians in the three-hospital Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) System (2,174) from January to March 2004; there were 820 respondents for a 37.7% response rate.

Results:

A total of 71% of physicians indicated that they were “not confident” that they could recognize five of the infectious agents named;they had higher confidence rates for smallpox (48.8%). Infectious diseases and emergency medicine physicians had the highest rates of confidence. Seventy-eight percent of physicians indicated conferences and lectures as their preferred CME learning modality. Nearly 72% of physicians reported a low familiarity with the DPH reporting requirements.

Discussion:

The results highlighted the breadth of perceived weaknesses among clinicians from disease recognition to reporting incidents, which signifies the need for greater training in these areas. As clinicians themselves emphasized their lack of skills and knowledge in this area, there should be a rapid development and dissemination of problem-based learning CME courses in bioterrorism preparedness.

Keywords

bioterrorisminfectious diseasephysicianspreparednesstraining
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 47 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2009

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