Public health workforce

A checklist for establishing a scaled-up public health workforce for COVID-19 contact tracing.

Checklist

1. Staffing needs and resources

Important parameters to consider:

  • Number of staff needed for case investigation. This includes: locating and interviewing cases; determining infectious period; eliciting contacts; providing instructions for isolation; referring to social/medical services.

  • Number of staff needed for contact notification. This includes: notifying contacts about exposure; providing instructions about quarantine; referral for testing; referral for social/medical/human services.

  • Number of staff needed for case and contact follow-up. This includes: daily check-in; responding to questions; referral to services.

  • Number of staff needed to supervise/manage the contact tracing staff.

  • Consider current and projected needs; to ensure staffing will meet needs throughout the local epidemic, use upper estimates.

Cluster and outbreak investigation workforce estimation:

  • Estimate number of clusters or outbreaks that may need to be investigated and controlled simultaneously.

    • Consider current and projected needs; to ensure staffing will meet needs throughout the local epidemic, use upper estimates.

  • Estimate the number of staff needed to investigate and control clusters and outbreaks.

    • Multiply the expected number of clusters or outbreaks needing simultaneous investigation and control by the number of investigators per team (for example, three people per investigation team).

    • Consider redirecting existing Field Epidemiologists, or other contact tracing and outbreak investigation and response staff, to fill this role.

Workforce estimation calculators:

2. Current workforce assessment

Existing public health staff that can fill contact tracing roles:

  • Case Investigators: Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Assignees, Public Health Nurses, Epidemiologists

  • Contact Tracers: Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), Public Health Investigators, Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Assignees, Public Health Nurses, Epidemiologists

  • Contact Tracing Team Leads: Supervisory Public Health Nurses, Senior Epidemiologists

  • Cluster Outbreak Investigators/Field Epidemiologists: Infection Control Practitioners (Nurses or Physicians), Hospital Acquired Infection Practitioners (Nurses or Physicians), Hospital Epidemiologists, Occupational Health Liaisons, Field Epidemiologists

  • Care Resource Coordinators: Patient Navigators, Linkage to Care Specialists, Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS)

  • Data Managers: Epidemiologists, Data Managers, Public Health Informatics Specialists

  • Self-Isolation and Self-Quarantine Monitors: Community Health Outreach Workers

  • Clinical Consultants: Practicing Registered Nurses, Public Health Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Physicians

3. Organizational chart

4. Recruitment

5. Workforce onboarding and training

6. Workforce management system

7. Ongoing staff development

8. Liability protections

9. Incentives and retention strategies.

Implementation Tools

LIVING DOCUMENT This playbook is a dynamic, "living" document. Global knowledge pertaining to COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. Feedback and suggestions can be sent to covid19-ct@vitalstrategies.org.

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