Course Overview

Public Health (PH) plays a vital role in pandemic management. Crucial components of this include source and contact tracing and case management. The conversations through which these processes are conducted can be both technically difficult and emotionally challenging. Education of staff is of utmost importance for case integrity, staff and patient safety; particularly for those who have been deployed from their usual work environment to meet pandemic surge demands. This course, developed in conjunction with the NSLHD PHU, provides a 3 stage framework for conducting these conversations.

Course Description

Course Aims:

· To provide Public Health staff with a 3 stage framework for conducting tracing interviews

· To develop strategies for managing common challenges in interviews

· To explore techniques for thorough and comprehensive data collection

· To deliberately practice elements of the interview with simulated patients

Topics covered:

The course focuses on the following topics

· Preparing for the call

· Previewing the conversation and potentially breaking bad news

· Managing strong emotion

· Using a conversation structure

Topics not covered:

· The investigative process and local PHU guidelines

Approach

· Participants work in small groups with experienced clinical simulation instructors.

· The focus on the day will be practice and feedback using actors as contacts.