Preventing Opioid Exposure Training (POET) for First Responders

PROJECT SUMMARY/Abstract: In this competitive revision Phase I SBIR, Gryphon Scientific proposes to expand the scope of theongoing project to support the urgent need to develop and deploy training for first responderpopulations at risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The ongoing Phase I SBIRproject focuses on training first responders (including law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel) torecognize and manage the risks of occupational opioid exposures. The training video format waschosen following formative research interviews with first responders, which revealed a clearpreference for training that could be administered to groups during short stand-up briefings. Currently,training content specifically includes topics such as routes of opioid exposure, PPE, situationalawareness, and recognizing and responding to exposure events. In this supplemental application,Gryphon proposes to expand the scope of the study by developing similar training videos on topicsrelated to the transmission of respiratory diseases, primarily focused on COVID-19. Specific topicsmay include pathogen fundamentals, transmission routes, and recommended measures to managerisk, including distancing measures when feasible, and the selection of appropriate personalprotective equipment (PPE) for various situations, including those where shortages preclude the useof recommended PPE. Recognizing the urgent need to deploy this training to the first respondercommunity, videos would be published as free and ad-supported on YouTube immediately followingtheir development. These videos could be used as standalone just-in-time training, as refreshersthroughout the pandemic, or as multimedia supplements to longer, more comprehensive e-learningcourses to reinforce key principals using a dynamic and engaging medium.Even before the pandemic, educators and researchers called for enhanced pathogen literacy in thegeneral public as an essential component of pandemic preparedness. This study proposes to collectvaluable data on learners' understanding of pathogen safety fundamentals and the potential efficacyof remote educational approaches to enhance microbiological literacy. Usability testing andknowledge retention (both immediately after training and three months later) research will beintegrated into the base Phase I study by testing these videos at the same time as those on opioidexposures. The initial products developed in this study may directly improve microbiological literacyamong at-risk populations, and these early studies may help to inform future training interventions.