As a healthcare professional, one of your responsibilities is to inform patients about issues that may cause them harm. Public health issues, including chronic
diseases and those that might cause an outbreak, may require disseminating information using public media outlets such as print, radio, or TV. People need to know the
facts of the outbreak and who may be at risk, including steps they should take to remain healthy.
In this Competency Assessment, you will create a press release to inform the public about a recent epidemiological event that you will choose. You will conduct
research on the disease, including recent data, clinical information, and the descriptive epidemiology of person, place, and time.
To prepare for this Competency Assessment:
Research one recent outbreak of a reportable infectious disease that has occurred within the past 5 years within the United States.
Review the article “Ebola Virus Disease in the Light of Epidemiological Triad.” Consider how your health condition applies to the epidemiologic triad (also known as
the epidemiologic triangle).
Review the resources on conducting an epidemiological investigation.