The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

4205.0: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - Table 5

Abstract #53617

Strategic planning: Using epidemiological data to identify training needs among health department personnel for TB control

Joan Mangan, MST1, deNay Kirkpatrick, MSN2, Nancy B. Keenon, MPH3, Frank Bruce, BS2, Pam Barrett, BSW4, Kimberly M. Taylor, MPH5, and Michael E. Kimerling, MD, MPH6. (1) Department of Epidemiology, Gorgas TB Initiative, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Blvd., Ryals Building, Suite 217, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, 205-934-1752, jmangan@ms.soph.uab.edu, (2) International Tuberculosis Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Blvd., Ryals Building, Suite 217, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, (3) Division of Tuberculosis Control, Alabama Department of Public Health, The RSA Tower, Suite 1450, 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL 36130-3017, (4) Tuscaloosa County Health Department, Alabama Department of Public Health, Box 2789, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403, (5) General Internal Medicine, University of Alabama Birmingham, 443 Ryals Building, 1665 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, (6) Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Alabama Birmingham, 443 Ryals Building, 1665 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294

In 1993 the World Health Organization declared Tuberculosis a global emergency. As the global community observes the 10th anniversary of this declaration, proactive rather than reactive management is essential to maintain effective control of TB in the U.S.. Recommendations for maintaining control of TB, put forth by The Institute of Medicine, include the efficient utilization of clinical, epidemiological, and case management resources; as well as the promotion of a well trained workforce and the development of more effective methods to identify and treat persons with recently acquired TB infection.

The Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Tuberculosis Control in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham regularly reviews TB program indicators to strategically plan programmatic activities. Most recently, epidemiological data were used to facilitate the identification and prioritization of staff training needs. A review of pediatric cases indicated the need to expand staff training in contact investigation since these cases are a key indicator of recent transmission and are considered a direct reflection on the effectiveness of contact investigation. This session will provide a brief overview of Alabama’s program experiences and the epidemiological data employed in the curriculum mapping process. Curriculum elements will be reviewed. Specifically, concepts from health promotion, health education, communications research, survey methods and medical anthropology that were incorporated into the curriculum will be highlighted. Results of the process and impact evaluation will be provided and strategies for an outcome evaluation will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Training

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Effective Methods of Training and Development of the Public Health Workforce Roundtable

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA