Program Aim:
An online program to provide information to develop the awareness and knowledge of public health workers who may be deployed on Field Epidemiology strike teams in order to assist local, regional, state, and national epidemiology staff in disease investigations during surge capacity.
This online program is the pre-requisite for the 2-day on-site "Intermediate Field Investigator Response and Surveillance Training (IFIRST)" program.
It is one of 2 alternative pre-requisites for the 1-day on-site "Intermediate Field Investigator Response and Surveillance Training 2 (IFIRST2)" program.
NOTE: The other IFIRST2 alternative pre-requisite is completion of IFIRST.
Target Audience:
Florida Department of Health employees and their community partners in healthcare, mental healthcare, emergency response and education.
Program Delivery Method:
Online course with required online registration, pre-test, completion of course content (run time: 4 hours), post-test (passing score) and course evaluation. After successful completion of these requirements, the ability to print an online certificate of completion will become available.
Training Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
Define terms and concepts associated with epidemiology.
Understand how to design and/or modify field epidemiology surveys and questionnaires.
Understand strategies for setting up an epidemiology field investigation surveillance system.
Be aware of the procedures and protocols for sampling and packaging of clinical specimens.
Be aware of the policies related to quarantine and isolation.
Understand interview communication concepts and techniques.
Understand the function and associated interview skills for epidemiological contact investigation.
Basic Epidemiology Training Modules:
Basic Epidemiology Overview
Field Questionnaire Methodology
Surveillance: Post-event Strategies
Sampling & Packaging
Quarantine & Isolation
Basic Interview Techniques
Epidemiological Contact Investigation
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Applied Epidemiology Competencies:
Competency 1B: Conduct surveillance activities
Competency 1C5: Assist in design of investigation
Competency 1C6: Use investigation techniques consistent with the public health problem
Competency 1D1: Follow ethics guidelines and principles when planning studies; conducting research; and collecting, disseminating, and using data.
Competency 2B: Use laboratory resources to support epidemiologic activities.
Competency 8A3: Support epidemiology roles in programs or plans that derive from public health policies.
Relevant Core Competency Domains for Public Health Professionals:
Core Competency Domain #1: Analytic/Assessment Skills
Core Competency Domain #3: Communication Skills
Core Competency Domain #4: Cultural Competency Skills
Core Competency Domain #6: Basic Public Health Science Skills
Core Competency Domain #8: Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills
Relevant Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies for Public Health Professionals:
Core Competency 7: Identify limits to own knowledge/skills/authority and identify key system resources for referring matters that exceed these limits.
Core Competency 8: Recognize unusual events that might indicate an emergency and describe appropriate action.
Core Competency 9: Apply creative problem solving and flexible thinking to unusual challenges with his/her functional responsibilities.
Relevant Essential Public Health Services:
E2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
E3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.
E8. Assure competent public health and personal health care workers.
Program Developers:
The content of this program was developed by the Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness (FCPHP) at the University of South Florida College of Public Health in cooperation with Florida Department of Health officials and subject matter experts.
Course objectives and the outline for course content were developed using the Public Health Epidemiology Competencies from the University of Washington Center
for Public Health Preparedness. The development and delivery of this course are supported by funding from a cooperative agreement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Schools of Public Health.
Continuing Education Credits:
Suwannee River AHEC (SRAHEC) has approved continuing education credit (CEC) contact hours for the following professions: Nurses: 4; certified health education specialists: 3.5; licensed mental health counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists:4.
In addition, the Florida Department of Health and Florida Environmental Health Association have approved this course for 4 hours of environmental health credits for individuals certified under Chapter 381.0101, F.S.
To apply for CECs, you must demonstrate successful completion of all course requirements, as evidenced by receiving a Certificate of Course Completion.
Credits for this program are available only in conjunction with your completion of the on-site IFIRST or IFIRST2. In other words, credits are not available after you complete this online course. The credits will be available after you complete IFIRST or IFIRST2.
Participants in applicable professions who want credits from SRAHEC need to complete a request form at the on-site training and provide their professional license number. For more information about the SRAHEC credits see: www.srahec.org/fcphp_CE
There is no fee for the CE credits.
Events of the University of South Florida are available without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status as provided by law and in accordance with the Universitys respect for personal dignity.
For more information see www.fcphp.usf.edu or contact us at fcphpinfo@health.usf.edu |
