When it comes to emergency preparedness, many public health workers may not be practicing what they preach, the American Public Health Association found out recently.
The association conducted an informal online survey of public health workers — such as those who work in local health departments or medical facilities. The results showed that even though such workers are busy helping to prepare their communities and residents for emergencies, they aren't doing enough to take care of themselves and their families.
About 60 percent of workers who took part in the survey said they lacked evacuation plans for their own households, and 52 percent said they didn't have a plan addressing how they'd communicate with household members if an emergency occurred.
The survey also found that about 64 percent of respondents were "somewhat," "very" or "extremely" concerned about an influenza pandemic. Respondents said they were also concerned about disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
A news story detailing further survey results was published in The Nation's Health, APHA's monthly newspaper.
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Shocked that more health workers aren't prepared themselves? You can use the comment feature of this blog to tell us, ask questions, raise concerns, etc.
1 comment:
This isn't surprising to me. Even my organization -- which works to promote preparedness -- didn't have an emergency plan until just recently. Maybe the federal government should do outreach to its own workers, not just the public, schools, businesses, etc.
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