@article{ref1,
title="Integrated decision-making in response to weapons of mass destruction incidents: development and initial evaluation of a course for healthcare professionals",
journal="Prehospital and disaster medicine",
year="2006",
author="Pryor, Erica and Heck, Emily and Norman, Linda and Weiner, B. and Mathews, R. and Black, J. and Terndrup, Thomas",
volume="21",
number="1",
pages="24-30",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Standardized, validated training programs for teaching administrative decision-making to healthcare professionals responding to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents have not been available. Therefore, a multidisciplinary team designed, developed, and offered a four-day, functional exercise, competency-based course at a national training center. OBJECTIVE: This report provides a description of the development and initial evaluation of the course in changing participants' perceptions of their capabilities to respond to WMD events. METHODS: Course participants were healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, emergency medical services administrators, hospital administrators, and public health officials. Each course included three modified tabletop and/or real-time functional exercises. A total of 441 participants attended one of the eight course offerings between March and August 2003. An intervention group only, pre-post design was used to evaluate change in perceived capabilities related to administrative decision-making for WMD incidents. Paired evaluation data were available on 339 participants (81.9%). Self-ratings for each of 21 capability statements were compared before and after the course. A 19-item total scale score for each participant was calculated from the pre-course and post-course evaluations. Paired t-tests on pre- and post-course total scores were conducted separately for each course. RESULTS: There was consistent improvement in self-rated capabilities after course completion for all 21 capability statements. Paired t-tests of pre- and post-course total scale scores indicated a significant increase in mean ratings for each course (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The tabletop/real-time-exercise format was effective in increasing healthcare administrators' self-rated capabilities related to WMD disaster management and response. Integrating the competencies into training interventions designed for a specific target audience and deploying them into an interactive learning environment allowed the competency-based training objectives to be accomplished.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1049-023X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}