Examination of the epidemiology workforce during emergency response

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About

The COVID-19 pandemic has identified and exploited weaknesses in the preparedness, detection, and response to public health emergencies. Importantly, it has highlighted the under-resourced public health workforce at the forefront of the response. In the context of increasingly frequent and complex emergencies, strengthening and supporting the epidemiology workforce is key to improving response and minimising the impact of a crisis.

This research aimed to build evidence and identify mechanisms to optimise the epidemiology workforce during crises, to improve the effectiveness of emergency response. Using a mixed methods study design we examined the challenges that the epidemiology emergency response workforce face in delivering effective and relevant epidemiological response, and evaluated workforce support interventions. This study demonstrated that the epidemiology emergency response workforce must evolve to be more effective in current and future public health challenges. Leadership, political awareness, and communication will be key factors in this modernisation. This research provides a platform to begin a global effort to address operational issues and the role of international epidemiology responders.

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Papers
Checklist Study protocol: building an evidence base for epidemiology emergency response, a mixed-methods study
Checklist Shaping applied epidemiology workforce training to strengthen emergency response a global survey of applied epidemiologists, 2019–2020
Checklist Emergency response and the need for collective competence in epidemiological teams
Checklist Leadership, politics, and communication: challenges of the epidemiology workforce during emergency response
Checklist Navigating Uncertainty: Evaluation of a COVID-19 Surge Workforce Support Program, Australia 2020-2021
Checklist How can we better support the public health emergency response workforce during crises?
Checklist Independent Evaluation of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Workforce Mentorship Program
Checklist Team effectiveness: epidemiologists’ perception of collective performance during emergency response