Certificate program "Readiness, response and management of emergency situations" as a component in the formation of competencies for public health specialists

Abstract

In the field of public health, the acquiring of relevant knowledge, skills and competencies for managing emergencies as well as the problem of effective response to them, and how to mitigate their consequences within the healthcare system are the crucial issues. The research employs bibliosemantic, informational, analytical, medical, statistical, sociological methods, method of content analysis, as well as surveys of practitioners from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Center of Ukraine. The minimum sample size comprises 326 individuals, which was calculated using the statistical package G*Power; a total of 369 respondents participated in the survey. The statistical processing of the materials was carried out using the licensed program Microsoft Excel 2016. In addition, the inclusion criteria for respondents concerned the individuals who participated in rapid response groups (both primary and reserve). The exclusion criteria encompassed specialists who were on leave for various reasons, such as maternity or health-related issues, in addition to individuals who opted not to engage in the survey. When developing the requisite competencies, it is imperative to allocate appropriate consideration to the practical aspect, as evidenced by the information gathered through the survey. Thus, 47% of respondents believe that this aspect needs improvement. Furthermore, within the array of challenges linked to the attainment of requisite competencies, specialists from rapid response groups have delineated the subsequent factors: psychological and emotional stress, a perceived threat to personal safety (19%), inadequate levels of professional training (18.4%), health-related concerns (11.7%), and deficiencies in material and technical support (26.8%). Consequently, upon analysis of the acquired data, the imperative to initiate the subsequent modifications to the accredited program "Readiness, Response and Emergency Management" has been ascertained, namely: to enhance practical training methodologies, to underscore holistic competencies, to implement psychological training protocols, and to instruct on the operation with modern technical equipment.