Preparedness for allied health professionals: risk communication training in a rural state

In times of disaster or crisis, all rural health workers, including allied health professionals, are potential first responders. Allied health professionals must therefore be well equipped to deal with the communication needs of the public during a crisis. To meet this need, the state health department in Kansas, an almost entirely rural state, conducted a risk communication needs assessment and message-mapping workshop in cooperation with the Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communication. Through a series of three focus groups, the state's most pressing communication needs were gathered in regard to agricultural, biological, and chemical/radioactive/explosive threats. Based on these needs, content was developed for a message-mapping workshop for 29 allied health professionals and emergency responders. Participants learned appropriate crisis responses to specific areas of concern. Workshop evaluations using a Likert-type response scale revealed that participants' knowledge of risk communication concepts increased to a significant degree following the message-mapping workshop. The risk communication needs assessment and message-mapping workshop represent an important beginning to addressing rural preparedness at a multiagency, grassroots level. Effective emergency response in a rural area depends on the preparedness skill level of allied health professionals as well as emergency responders.