Preparedness needs assessment in a rural State: themes derived from public focus groups.

Recent studies have assessed preparedness training and the resource needs of public health and clinical professionals in responding to a crisis, but few have assessed the needs of the general public, especially in rural areas. The present study, based in a risk assessment and information-seeking theoretical framework, assessed the preparedness awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of the general public in a rural state through a series of focus groups. Six focus groups were conducted with 34 participants in 4 locations in Kansas (2 urban and 2 rural). Focus group interviews followed a standardized script. Participants from all 4 locations reported training and knowledge needs and desired training, knowledge, and emergency preparedness plans. Certain groups also reported a lack of familiarity with preparedness terminology, as well as different ideas about trusted sources and agencies responsible for providing preparedness training or information. Some diverging opinions from these focus groups were stratified by urban/rural status, indicating possible implications for future all-hazards training in rural regions of the nation. These results may be used for planning and improving training for the general public in both urban and rural areas.

Evaluation of interdisciplinary terrorism preparedness programs: a pilot focus group study.

Many terrorism preparedness trainings occur throughout the United States, yet few qualitatively examine trainees' needs and interests, reactions to training, or suggestions for training improvement. Eleven posttraining focus groups were conducted with 31 training participants at six sites. Participants were stratified by health profession discipline, and discipline-specific moderators conducted each session to better understand and probe for feedback. One additional moderator attended all sessions to increase consistency in methods across sessions. Focus group participants assessed changes in their perceptions, knowledge, and beliefs about terrorism preparedness. Participants reported perceiving terrorism as a potential threat but less likely than natural disasters. All-hazards crossover training for responding to terrorism and natural disasters was requested. The training was viewed positively, including the enrollment process, training content, and reference materials. Participants reported increased confidence in abilities to recognize a terrorist event. Participants stated they would like the training repeated annually with more first responders in attendance. Participants from rural areas had unique training needs based on limited resources and multiple roles of staff. While most participants wanted a longer, multispecialty conference with in-depth, discipline-specific breakout sessions, physicians requested shorter, separate training. Multispecialty training methods were successful and appreciated. This pilot study may serve as a template for qualitative evaluation of terrorism preparedness conferences for health professionals.