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Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness of Health Professions Students: A Multidisciplinary Assessment of Knowledge, Confidence, and Attitudes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2013

David Markenson ,
Seth Woolf ,
Irwin Redlener  and
Michael Reilly
David Markenson*
Affiliation:
Sky Ridge Medical Center, Valhalla, New York Department of Pediatrics and Public Health, Valhalla, New York
Seth Woolf
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
Irwin Redlener
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
Michael Reilly
Affiliation:
Center for Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to David Markenson, MD, MBA, Senior Fellow, Center for Disaster Medicine, Chief Medical Officer, Sky Ridge Medical Center, 10101 Ridge Gate Parkway, Lone Tree, CO 80124.
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Abstract

Objective

This study assessed disaster medicine knowledge and competence and perceived self-efficacy and motivation for disaster response among medical, nursing, and dental students.

Methods

Survey methodology was used to evaluate knowledge, comfort, perceived competency, and motivation. Also, a nonresponder survey was used to control for responder bias.

Results

A total of 136 responses were received across all 3 schools. A nonresponder survey showed no statistical differences with regard to age, gender, previous presence at a disaster, and previous emergency response training. In spite of good performance on many knowledge items, respondent confidence was low in knowledge and in comfort to perform in disaster situations. Knowledge was strong in areas of infection control, decontamination, and biological and chemical terrorism but weak in areas of general emergency management, role of government agencies, and radiologic events. Variations in knowledge among the different health professions were slight, but overall the students believed that they required additional education. Finally, students were motivated not only to acquire more knowledge but to respond to disaster situations.

Conclusions

Health care students must be adequately educated to assume roles in disasters that are a required part of their professions. This education also is necessary for further disaster medicine education in either postgraduate or occupational education. As students’ performance on knowledge items was better than their perceived knowledge, it appears that a majority of this education can be achieved with the use of existing curricula, with minor modification, and the addition of a few focused subjects, which may be delivered through novel educational approaches. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:499-506)

Keywords

health profession studenteducationhealthcare educationstudent assessmentdisaster education

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 5 , October 2013 , pp. 499 - 506
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

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