Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience
Introduction: The study objective was to evaluate a contact tracing training program and the role of contact tracing on volunteers’ professional development. Methods: A COVID-19 contact tracing program was conducted at an urban academic medical center, in collaboration with the local health departme...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-09-01
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| Series: | AJPM Focus |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773065422000153 |
| _version_ | 1811192134119718912 |
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| author | Katherine M. Strelau, BS Nawar Naseer, PhD, MPH Rachel Feuerstein-Simon, MPA, MPH Kierstyn Claycomb, MS, MBA Heather Klusaritz, PhD, MSW Hillary C.M. Nelson, PhD, MPH Carolyn C. Cannuscio, ScD |
| author_facet | Katherine M. Strelau, BS Nawar Naseer, PhD, MPH Rachel Feuerstein-Simon, MPA, MPH Kierstyn Claycomb, MS, MBA Heather Klusaritz, PhD, MSW Hillary C.M. Nelson, PhD, MPH Carolyn C. Cannuscio, ScD |
| author_sort | Katherine M. Strelau, BS |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The study objective was to evaluate a contact tracing training program and the role of contact tracing on volunteers’ professional development. Methods: A COVID-19 contact tracing program was conducted at an urban academic medical center, in collaboration with the local health department, between March 2020 and May 2021. Contact tracers, most of whom were health professions students, completed pretraining and post-training surveys to assess knowledge and self-efficacy to conduct contact tracing, plus an 18-month follow-up survey regarding career impacts. Results: We observed statistically significant post-training increases in knowledge and self-efficacy to conduct contact tracing. Contact tracers described benefiting from training regarding cultural humility, empathy, and trauma-informed interviewing. They also expressed a deeper understanding of COVID-19 inequities and their structural causes and reported that the work was emotionally demanding. Conclusions: Key to pandemic preparedness is having a trained and supported workforce. This study showed how contact tracing training and field experience strengthened students’ education in the health professions by sharpening interpersonal skills and structural competency and by generating insights regarding current gaps in both public health infrastructure and support for vulnerable populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:47:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-862b6a44d50e4ea9ae64a2503368b285 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2773-0654 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:47:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AJPM Focus |
| spelling | doaj.art-862b6a44d50e4ea9ae64a2503368b2852022-12-22T03:56:35ZengElsevierAJPM Focus2773-06542022-09-0111100017Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field ExperienceKatherine M. Strelau, BS0Nawar Naseer, PhD, MPH1Rachel Feuerstein-Simon, MPA, MPH2Kierstyn Claycomb, MS, MBA3Heather Klusaritz, PhD, MSW4Hillary C.M. Nelson, PhD, MPH5Carolyn C. Cannuscio, ScD6Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Address correspondence to: Katherine M. Strelau, BS, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Anatomy Chemistry Building, Room 145, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia PA 19104.Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCenter for Global Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIntroduction: The study objective was to evaluate a contact tracing training program and the role of contact tracing on volunteers’ professional development. Methods: A COVID-19 contact tracing program was conducted at an urban academic medical center, in collaboration with the local health department, between March 2020 and May 2021. Contact tracers, most of whom were health professions students, completed pretraining and post-training surveys to assess knowledge and self-efficacy to conduct contact tracing, plus an 18-month follow-up survey regarding career impacts. Results: We observed statistically significant post-training increases in knowledge and self-efficacy to conduct contact tracing. Contact tracers described benefiting from training regarding cultural humility, empathy, and trauma-informed interviewing. They also expressed a deeper understanding of COVID-19 inequities and their structural causes and reported that the work was emotionally demanding. Conclusions: Key to pandemic preparedness is having a trained and supported workforce. This study showed how contact tracing training and field experience strengthened students’ education in the health professions by sharpening interpersonal skills and structural competency and by generating insights regarding current gaps in both public health infrastructure and support for vulnerable populations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773065422000153COVID-19contact tracingtrainingpublic health workforcepandemic responsestructural competency |
| spellingShingle | Katherine M. Strelau, BS Nawar Naseer, PhD, MPH Rachel Feuerstein-Simon, MPA, MPH Kierstyn Claycomb, MS, MBA Heather Klusaritz, PhD, MSW Hillary C.M. Nelson, PhD, MPH Carolyn C. Cannuscio, ScD Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience AJPM Focus COVID-19 contact tracing training public health workforce pandemic response structural competency |
| title | Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience |
| title_full | Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience |
| title_short | Evaluation of a Contact Tracing Training Program and Field Experience |
| title_sort | evaluation of a contact tracing training program and field experience |
| topic | COVID-19 contact tracing training public health workforce pandemic response structural competency |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773065422000153 |
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