Abstract

Relevance. Under modern biological, chemical, radiological, and other threats to public health, improvement of the system for developing and maintaining the competence of rapid response teams of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention becomes particularly important.

Aim. To identify the main problems in developing and maintaining professional competence and to substantiate directions for its improvement based on an analysis of regulatory support and the results of a survey of specialists from rapid response teams of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Materials and methods. Bibliosemantic, information-analytical, and sociological methods, together with descriptive statistics, were used in the work. The sociological stage of the study involved an anonymous questionnaire survey of specialists from rapid response teams (RRTs) of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCPs) to assess the current training system, experience of participation in emergency response, and directions for its improvement. Regulatory documents, educational and certificate programmes, electronic resources, and the results of sociological studies on the training and activity of RRTs of CDCPs were analysed.

Results. It was established that the competence system of RRTs of CDCPs should include cognitive, operational-technological, communicative, digital, and personal-motivational components. The key competences include emergency response, epidemiological investigation, risk assessment, laboratory diagnostics, interagency interaction, and public information. Competence is maintained through continuous learning, training, updating of the regulatory framework, resource provision, readiness monitoring, and international cooperation. According to the results of the questionnaire survey, 47.0% of respondents indicated the need to strengthen practical training, and 48.5% had experience of responding to public health emergencies. The need to develop psychological training, improve the integrated competence-based approach, and train personnel to work with modern material and technical support was also determined.

Conclusions. The results obtained indicate the need to strengthen the practical and psychological components of training for RRT personnel of CDCPs, develop practice-oriented forms of learning, and regularly practise emergency response algorithms. Professional competence should be maintained by combining continuous professional development, readiness monitoring, interagency drills, and international cooperation. The certificate programme “Emergency Preparedness, Response and Management” can be considered an effective instrument of professional development, as it combines a competence-based approach, practical training, training in response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, and the development of interagency interaction skills.