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. 2010 Nov-Dec;125 Suppl 5(Suppl 5):100-6.
doi: 10.1177/00333549101250S514.

Public health emergency preparedness exercises: lessons learned

Paul D Biddinger  1 , Elena Savoia, Sarah B Massin-Short, Jessica Preston, Michael A Stoto
Affiliations

Public health emergency preparedness exercises: lessons learned

Paul D Biddinger et al. Public Health Rep. 2010 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

The Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness exercise program has two aims: (1) educating the public health workforce on key public health system emergency preparedness issues, and (2) identifying specific systems-level challenges in the public health response to large-scale events. Rigorous evaluation of 38 public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) exercises employing realistic scenarios and reliable and accurate outcome measures has demonstrated the usefulness of PHEP exercises in clarifying public health workers' roles and responsibilities, facilitating knowledge transfer among these individuals and organizations, and identifying specific public health systems-level challenges.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Participants' satisfaction with the exercise program (n=1,145), Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness PHEP exercise program, 2005–2009
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Participants' satisfaction with the exercise program by population size, Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness PHEP exercise program, 2005–2009
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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