Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation Survey for FSIS Public Health Partners

FY21 FSIS Partner Survey

OMB Number: 0583-0175;

OMB approval expiration date: _____

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0583-0175.The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE (FSIS)

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation Survey

Dear Public Health and Food Safety Partner,

We are seeking feedback from state and territorial public health and food safety agencies to identify opportunities for improving collaborative responses to foodborne illness outbreaks. The purpose of this survey is to inform FSIS outreach efforts to strengthen partnerships. We intend to share the aggregate results from this survey with our outbreak response partners and may share them publicly. Thank you for taking the time to provide your input.

QUESTIONS TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS

1. In the past five years, has your agency notified FSIS of a foodborne illness outbreak associated with FSIS-regulated products?

☐ Yes

☐ Sometimes

☐ Never

2. If your agency has not notified FSIS of a foodborne illness outbreak associated with FSIS-regulated products, what was the reason for not notifying FSIS? (Please mark all that apply)

☐ We do not have FSIS contact information

☐ We do not think it is necessary to contact FSIS

☐ We notified the CDC and assumed that the CDC would notify FSIS

☐ FSIS has never reached out to us about outbreaks related to the products it regulated

☐ We do not know which Federal agency has jurisdiction over the product in question

☐ Another agency in our jurisdiction is responsible for notifying FSIS of outbreaks

Please name the agency or entity_________________________________________________

☐ Other reason (please specify) ____________________________________________________

3. In your jurisdiction, which entity is responsible for notifying FSIS of foodborne outbreaks associated with FSIS-regulated products

☐ Epidemiology (State Health Department)

☐ Food Protection/Environmental Health (State Health Department)

☐ State Agriculture Department

☐ Other (please specify) _________________________________________________________

4. Regarding the most recent outbreak associated with FSIS-regulated products, did you notify FSIS?

☐ Yes

☐ No

How did you notify FSIS?

☐ By calling the FSIS hotline

☐ By sending an email to [email protected], the FSIS outbreak notification email address

☐ We do not notify FSIS

☐ Other (please specify) ___________________________________________________

5. Is communicating or coordinating with FSIS part of your agency’s written procedures when responding to foodborne outbreaks?

☐ Yes

☐ No

☐ Not sure

☐ Our agency does not have written procedures related to foodborne outbreaks

6. If your Agency has written procedures for foodborne outbreak investigations, can you please share how interaction with FSIS is described in those procedures?

7. Please recommend ways of improving collaboration and information exchange between FSIS and your agency during foodborne outbreak investigations.

8. If FSIS has assessed your laboratory results of food sample analysis, can you share your thoughts on:

1. Timeliness _______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Quality of communication __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Results usefulness_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. Areas of improvement for assessment Process__________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

9. Are you willing to participate in outreach and/or training activities offered by FSIS about how FSIS conducts foodborne outbreaks?

☐ Yes

☐ No

If your answer is Yes, what format do you prefer that FSIS uses?

☐ Webinars

☐ Teleconference

☐ Meeting/Conferences

☐ Classroom training

☐ Other. Please specify ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

10. Are you open to FSIS sharing lessons learned from outbreak investigations to strengthen relationships and improve public health response?

☐ Yes

☐ No

11. Are you willing to participate in annual surveys to assess trends and identify where improvements are needed to maintain successful partnership conducive to effective outbreak responses?

☐ Yes

☐ No

If your answer is Yes; what is the contact information of the individual who will be participating? __________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

12. Do you have your local FSIS contact information to report illness and outbreak information to FSIS?

☐ Yes

☐ No

If your answer is Yes, please specify name of FSIS contact ______________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

13. Do you want FSIS to contact your office in the event of a change in local FSIS contact?

☐ Yes

☐ No

If your answer is Yes, please provide the contact information of the individual in your office whom FSIS sends the information to ________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

14. Are you aware of the existence of FSIS Directive 2620.5 which describes how FSIS shares information with other partners?

☐ Yes

☐ No

15. If there is a change in the way FSIS shares information with public health partners, do you want FSIS to send the new information to your office?

☐ Yes

☐ No

If your answer is Yes, please provide the contact information of the individual to whom FSIS will send the information _________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

16. Are you aware of the outbreak investigation resources that are available on the FSIS website at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/search?keywords=outbreak+investigations

☐ Yes

☐ No

Thank you for your responses. If you would like to be contacted directly by FSIS to further discuss your responses or if you have additional questions, please provide your contact information below __________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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