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Engaging Local Health Departments in Disaster Research: A Washington State Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2019

Ali Everhart ,
Resham Patel  and
Nicole A. Errett
Ali Everhart
Affiliation:
University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Resham Patel
Affiliation:
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Nicole A. Errett*
Affiliation:
University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Nicole Errett, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357234, Seattle, WA 98195 (e-mail: nerrett@uw.edu).
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Abstract

Objective:

Disaster research can inform effective, efficient, and evidence-based public health practices and decision making; identify and address knowledge gaps in current disaster preparedness and response efforts; and evaluate disaster response strategies. This study aimed to identify challenges and opportunities experienced by Washington State local health departments (LHDs) regarding engagement in disaster research activities.

Methods:

An online survey was disseminated to the emergency preparedness representative for the 35 LHDs in Washington State. Survey questions sought to assess familiarity and experience with disaster research, as well as identify facilitators and barriers to their involvement. The survey was first piloted with 7 local and state public health emergency preparedness practitioners.

Results:

A total of 82.9% of Washington’s 35 LHDs responded to our survey. Only 17.2% of respondents had previous experience with disaster research. Frequently reported barriers to engaging in disaster research included funding availability, competing everyday priorities, staff capacity, and competing priorities during disaster response.

Conclusions:

These findings can inform efforts to support disaster research partnerships with Washington State LHDs and facilitate future collaboration. Researchers and public health practitioners should develop relationships and work to incorporate disaster research into LHD planning, training, and exercises to foster practice-based disaster research capacity.

Keywords

local health departmentsdisaster research responsepublic health preparedness
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , April 2020 , pp. 163 - 167
Copyright
© 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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References

REFERENCES

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