CASPER toolkit

"Following any type of disaster, public health and emergency management professionals must be prepared to respond to and meet the needs of the affected public. The Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER), also referred to as Rapid Need Assessment (RNA), Rapid Epidemiologic Assessment (REA), and Rapid Health Assessment (RHA), will assist public health practitioners and emergency management officials in determining the health status and basic needs of the affected community. Gathering information about health and basic need data by using valid statistical methods allows public health and emergency managers to prioritize their responses and to rationalize the distribution of resources. Without accurate information or uniform guidelines, public health officials may make decisions based on impressions or opinions, which may not accurately reflect the needs of the entire community. This toolkit was developed as a guideline for field staff in conducting CASPER. It provides quantitative post-disaster assessment procedures that can identify the health status and basic needs such as food, water, and shelter of the affected population. Personnel from any local, regional, state, or federal public health department, emergency management officials, academicians, or other disaster responders who need to assess household-level public health needs following a disaster may use this toolkit." - p. 71. Executive summary -- 2. Background -- 3. Methodology -- 4. CDC support -- 5. References -- 6. Additional sources of information -- Appendix A: Questionnaire bank -- Appendix B: Sample data collection form -- Appendix C: Confidential referral form -- Appendix D: Assessment tracking form -- Appendix E: Agenda to orient field teams -- Appendix F: Consent form -- Appendix G: Debriefing of field teams -- Appendix H: Report outlineTitle from PDF cover.The Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) Toolkit was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Health Studies Branch (CDC/NCEH/DEHHE/HSB). DEHHE/HSB acknowledges these individuals for their collaboration and commitment to the development of this toolkit. Primary authors: Tesfaye Bayleyegn, MD, Amy Wolkin, MSPH, Sara Vagi, PhD, Leslie Hausman, MPH, and Carlos Sanchez, MD."January 2009."Mode of access: Internet. (Arobat .pdf file: 1.24 MB, 91 p.).Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-55).Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) Toolkit. Atlanta (GA): CDC; 2009