SafetyCatalog
Updated from Mass Gatherings Surveillance Editions – National Institute of Public Health, Poland
Contents
Mass Gatherings Surveillance Systems
Sanitary Requirements for Mass Gatherings Surveillance
Every epidemiological and sanitary activity has to be taken into account the
legal context of the particular country and has to comply with international regulations.
A surveillance system prepared for mass gatherings has to be in agreement
with the law, the knowledge of the local and international regulations
covering activities at mass gatherings should be included in the training.
Trainees should be aware about compliance of the surveillance system to its legal ramifications.
International data sources for Mass Gatherings Surveillance
Some countries have experience covering in sanitary and epidemiological activities at local or international sporting events.
These experiences are a very important source of the information
regarding training needs for upcoming event.
In those cases it would be highly advisable that people with direct experience in surveillance at mass gatherings
should be included in the training and if possible also in surveillance activity.
In those countries in which there was no previous experience,
assessment of training needs should be based on literature and if possible on the experience of invited experts.
Educational and Professional Programs
The training program has to be adjusted to the educational level of the participants and to the needs of trainees assigned to different tasks.
Though information on the educational level and on the past working places of potential trainees is insufficient for assessment the training needs.
Interviews
Interviews are a very effective tool allowing presentations of expectation of the trainers.
those of trainees as well as basic orientation in skills and motivation.
It should be performed in a friendly, open atmosphere, but it should be properly structured according to the purpose of the training.
Following some general questions regarding personal interests and attitude, the trainee should be informed about the basic educational and practical
requirements he/she should meet, about the purpose of the enhanced surveillance at the mass gathering, and, finally about the crude outline of the planned surveillance system.
The interviewee should be encouraged to ask questions or present his/her comments on any discussed topic.
It is necessary to ensure interviewed person that content of the interview
will remain confidential and may be used only for general purposes without possibility of individual tracing.
If interview is used as qualifying step, interviewed person has to be informed about it prior to the interview.
Individual interview may be time consuming, but it is much more valuable
source of information then group interview,
which always leaves part of the group inactive, and rarely provides valuable information on individuals.
Surveys
For surveys the questionnaire is a basic, but not the only tool.
The study on participants should include analysis of their documented education, opinion from the place of work,
requested opinions of other professionals and letter of application.
Preparation of questionnaire is not an easy task.
For statistical analysis much more effective is closed questions questionnaire than one with open questions,
but as a rule questionnaire should be prepared by the professional.
Observation
It may serve as validation tool for other sources of information.
Also, observation of regular performance at the work place may provide valuable data on motivation,
effectiveness at work and also level of expertise.
Main problem is that such observation is best performed by people who are
present at the workplace on daily basis and rarely gives accurate insight by
people visiting workplace for short time and a special purpose.
Shortly speaking it is good tool for internal trainers, but rather questionable
for external ones, who frequently may relay on second hand opinions.
Direct testing
Direct testing should be rarely recommended for assessment of adult trainees who work in the field of surveillance for many years.
They may interpret this as a declaration of distrust or even insult.
In rare cases testing may serve as a tool for selection, if number of candidates for training exceeds number of available places.
Still more friendly selection tools are recommended even in those cases.
Not all assessment tools should be recommended for use at the same training.
Especially interview and survey may be used interchangeably.
Selection of the tool should be left to discretion of the trainers.
When preparing the training module one of the key issues is selection of the
training model which may suit best the purpose of training and the group of trainees.
Pedagogical and Andragogical Model
Pedagogical model, for obvious reasons, hardly suits training of adults in the contemporary world.
Andragogical model is based on another set of assumptions regarding
motivation to learn which should be considered in planning and conducting of training:
Self directedness is understood as ability to set aims of training mostly in categories of personal achievements,
but also in certain extend regarding training program and organization.
It does not change the fact that leading role in setting training module rests on trainers.
Prior knowledge and past experience is certainly an asset since training material is built in the existing structure of knowledge.
So training does not have to be started from scratch.
On the other hand participants fixed on undesired habits or procedures
may be less open to learning new methods and ideas.
Hands – on training: Expectations of adult trainees concentrate more
closely on actual needs at the workplace which may solve really existing
problems and on acquirement abilities which may positively influence their professional carrier.
Adult trainees share some motivation factors with younger students,
but need for self esteem and respect from instructors usually runs higher
among them and as a rule they are much more sensitive to any signs of irreverence.
Epidemiologists and Public health functionaries Training
Training of epidemiologists and public health functionaries to prepare them
to conduct infectious disease surveillance during mass gatherings should start from acquainting with their professional experience,
in particular with types of surveillance they used in the past.
New elements of the monitoring system should be integrated into existing one.
Showing usefulness of the already possessed skills may be a powerful stimulus in motivating people to learn.
People differ in their preferences regarding styles of learning.
There are no criteria, which may valuate those styles.
Each style may lead to desired training results if teaching environment would be compatible with preferred style of learner.
Feelers: are best motivated in open unrestrained environment especially when they work in groups with free exchange of ideas.
Observers: are more restrained in the training environment and mostly oriented on absorbing information delivered by trainers.
They are closely concentrated on the subject of training.
Thinkers: are focused on analysis and evaluation.
They are prone to challenge colleagues and instructors on points which they deem illogical or unfounded.
Doers: are strongly practice oriented and prefer practical exercises in which they frequently take leading position.
Categories of Learners
Categories of learners, as many classifications do, give rather simplistic picture of the variety of human behaviors and emotions.
On the other hand they point to some important elements of relations between training environment and motivation of learners.
Whatever is the mixture in the group of people with different preferences
of the learning style and the overlap of different preferences in individual
trainees, organizer of the training should keep in mind that training module
should be rich enough to be effectively addressed to most of the
participants and to meet most of their individual expectations as well as to
give the participants as many as possible opportunities to satisfy their individual interests and express their opinions.
This may be secured by carefully weighed proportions of different
training modes:
lectures, seminars, group work on practical problems with presentation
and discussion of results.
Careful observation of reactions and positions taken by the participants
may allow to assign them to the tasks they prefer and gain their commitment to the training.
