Needs assessment for pathogen genomics training for health and research professionals in the UK

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the  importance of integrating genomics with epidemiological and clinical data in routine or emergency surveillance of infectious disease.  Concomitantly, the pandemic also highlighted the global paucity of trained professionals and the need for targeted and formal approaches to developing a workforce that can shape and deliver the value of genomics for additional pathogen paradigms, and the appropriate public health responses, informed by the additional precision afforded by genomics.

To assess the training requirements in data science and pathogen genomics for healthcare and research professionals in the UK, we implemented a comprehensive needs assessment. This involved a mixed-methods approach, encompassing interviews with experts, surveys, discussion forums, and workshops. We engaged ten experts in the field, including infection control specialists, public health consultants, and hospital managers, to gain a broad perspective on the current educational needs. Applying thematic analysis, we identified key training needs, important stakeholders, challenges in learning pathogen genomics, preferred training formats, and how pathogen genomics knowledge is applied in various healthcare and research settings.

Our findings informed the design and development of tailored train-the-trainer courses, contributing to the successful training of more than 70 professionals from diverse backgrounds, the establishment of a pathogen genomics community of practice and initiated a pathogen genomics competency framework. Acknowledging the limitations due to sample size and potential biases in responses, this needs assessment paves the way for more nuanced and effective training methodologies in pathogen genomics, informing future program designs and improvements in the field.