J Korean Med Sci.  2025 Jan;40(1):e23. 10.3346/jkms.2025.40.e23.

Needs Assessment for Public Health Competency in Infection Prevention and Control: Importance and Performance Analysis (IPA) of Infectious Disease Response Practitioners

• Kim Y
• Gwack J
• Kwon Y
• Cheong MJ
• Lee JH

• KMID: 2564208
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2025.40.e23

Abstract

Background
The Field Epidemiology Training Program Frontline, initiated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in 2019, aims to enhance the competencies of infectious disease practitioners across 17 regions in South Korea. With the September 2024 amendment to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act mandating infectious disease prevention and crisis response training for government employees who are associated with infectious diseases responses, there is an urgent need to assess and optimize the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of such competency-based education programs amidst constraints of budget and manpower.
Methods
This study examined the educational needs and priorities of public health competencies among infectious disease practitioners. The competency framework for Infectious Disease Response Practitioners (IDRP) in South Korea was used to evaluate the validity, importance, and performance level of competencies for infectious disease response personnel. For the training needs analysis, differences in performance by group were analyzed, and an importance performance analysis (IPA) was conducted using the Borich Needs Assessment based on the IPA matrix to derive training priorities.
Results
The analysis revealed a significant gap between perceived importance and selfreported performance levels in most competencies, especially epidemiologic methods. Competencies related to safety and ethics, fieldwork, and crisis management have high importance and performance ratings, indicating a need for ongoing training. Of the 27 competencies, the IPA identified specific training needs and priorities, suggesting eight competencies for focused intervention to strengthen the capacity of IDRPs.
Conclusion
The IDRP competency framework in South Korea plays a pivotal role in establishing a standardized, competency-based approach to training IDRP. The identified gaps and training priorities highlight the need for continued curriculum development and the integration of real-world, field-based scenarios into training programs.

Keyword

FETP-Frontline; Infectious Disease Response Training; Public Health Workforce Development Competency-Based Education; Importance Performance Analysis (IPA); Competency Model of Infectious Disease Prevention

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The locus for focus model for educational needs for competencies.LH = low importance and high discrepancy, HH = high importance and high discrepancy between importance level and current performance level (high educational priority), LL = low importance and low discrepancy, HL = high importance and low discrepancy.

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