Event Details

PHO Rounds: Simulation Exercises for Public Health Emergencies: Evidence-Informed Practices to Enhance Design, Delivery and Evaluation

Emergency preparedness exercises are often promoted as an effective strategy to test and strengthen preparedness capacity by simulating public health emergencies. Updates to Ontario’s Emergency Management Standard have emphasized the importance of conducting annual exercises to test assumptions, relationships and plans, and identify opportunities for improvement. To maximize their value, it is essential to identify best practices and to learn from the common challenges encountered in exercise design, delivery and evaluation. This Public Health Ontario (PHO) Rounds presents the results of a recently published rapid review on this topic. Ten practices to strengthen exercises will be discussed, capturing insights from the literature related to exercise design, scenario development, exercise facilitation, evaluation and quality improvement. This session also highlights key learning resources and tools available to support the conduct of emergency preparedness exercises in public health.

Intended audience: Public health practitioners, decision-makers, researchers, and emergency management professionals who support and engage in emergency preparedness, evaluation, and workforce capacity building.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe different types of emergency preparedness exercises conducted in the public health agency context.
• Describe evidence-informed practices for designing, delivering and evaluating emergency preparedness exercises to optimize outcomes.
• Discuss opportunities to strengthen the quality of the literature on emergency preparedness exercises and enhance the use of evidence-based frameworks and measures.

Presenter(s): Andrea Chaplin

Andrea Chaplin is a Senior Program Specialist with the Emergency Planning, Response and Recovery team at PHO. She holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto with a focus on behavioural and implementation science. Andrea has spent many years supporting teams in applying research evidence, theory, and evidence-informed approaches to effectively develop, implement, and evaluate public health programs.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Accreditation

Public Health Ontario Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). In order to receive written documentation for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, please check “Yes” beside the question “Do you require CME credits?” on the registration form.

College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Affiliate Members may count RCPSC credits toward their Mainpro+ credit requirements. All other CFPC members may claim up to 50 Certified credits per cycle for participation in RCPSC MOC Section 1 accredited activities.

PHO Rounds are also approved by the Council of Professional Experience for professional development hours (PDHs) for members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI).

For more information or for a record of registration for other Continuing Education purposes, please contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

Accessibility

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.