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RAPID INCIDENT RESPONSE FRAMEWORK
Citation:
SMITH, J. E. RAPID INCIDENT RESPONSE FRAMEWORK. Presented at 8th Annual National Biosolids Conference Workshop, Bolger Center for Leadership Development, Potomac, MD, June 26, 2006 - June 26, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
to present information
Description:
Will discuss WERF Contract (RFP# 03-HHE-5PP), Protocols for the Timely Investigation of Potential Health Incidents Associated with Biosolids Land Application, as a member of the project advisory committee. The contractor, University of North Carolina, started work in early June, 2006 and will develop a protocol for epidemiologic surveillance, outbreak investigation, and etiologic investigation of the potential health impacts of land application of biosolids in neighboring populations. Included in this project will be a plan for communicating and disseminating the protocol to the public, government agencies, medical service providers, and biosolids professionals. The protocol and communication strategies will be developed based on completion of the following specific tasks: 1.Generate a list of local/state/federal agencies and biosolids generators/appliers to contact regarding their level of interest, capacity, and involvements. 2.Contact agency personnel and biosolids professionals identified in task one to evaluate the interest, capacity and feasibility of their involvement in gathering and maintaining epidemiologic surveillance data and conducting etiologic investigation of acute health impacts of biosolids application. 3. Evaluate existing designs for surveillance, case investigation, etiologic studies of acute symptoms related to environmental exposures 4. Develop a catalogue of symptoms potentially related to biosolids exposures as well as a group of control symptoms not associated with such exposures. 5. Develop methods for assessing potential local human exposure to pollutants from land-applied biosolids as well as methods for assessing personal and other environmental exposures that can cause symptoms of interest. 6. Develop interview and focus group guides for assessing knowledge and awareness of biosolids land application among the public, medical service providers and government personnel and for developing strategies to communicate about the protocol to these groups and the biosolids industry. 7. Identify interviewees and focus group participants. 8. Schedule/conduct interviews and focus groups for the assessment phase of developing outreach communication strategies. 9. Produce survey instruments to evaluate potentially biosolids-related symptoms, other (control) symptoms, health-related quality of life, medical history, sociodemographic, behavioral and mood variables, exposure variables, application practices, and other conditions and exposures that could confound or modify associations between biosolids and symptoms. 10. Create a guide for investigating health events potentially related to biosolids application that could be implemented by government agencies or research nstitutions. 11. Design a database for maintaining information collected during investigations of symptom reports and biosolids land application practices. 12.Analyze assessment data and develop outreach communication strategies and materials 13. Develop a plan for further work