DI Job Task Analysis
What is a Job Task Analysis?
A Job Task Analysis (JTA) is a systematic, evidence-based process used to identify the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities required for effective professional practice. In certification development, the JTA serves as an ongoing confirmation that the exam reflects real-world practice.
For the Certified in Disease Intervention (CDI) credential, the JTA confirms the day-to-day work of DI professionals across diverse settings, populations, and roles. It validates that the CDI certification exam is grounded in contemporary disease intervention practice and aligned with the realities of the workforce.
Why the DI Job Task Analysis Matters
A disease intervention professional is primarily a non-licensed public health professional with applied expertise in preventing the spread of infectious disease at the community level. They accomplish this by delivering a comprehensive set of person-centered services necessary to provide access to recommended testing, treatment, and prevention resources.
The DI Job Task Analysis:
- Establishes a national, practice-based standard for the disease intervention workforce
- Clearly defines the distinct competencies that differentiate DI skills from other public health roles
- Provides a transparent and defensible foundation for certification
- Ensures the CDI certification exam reflects current, real-world practice
By grounding certification in a validated JTA, NBPHE affirms disease intervention specialties as distinct a professional workforce with unique expertise and responsibilities.
Share the DI JTA
If you would like to post about the DI JTA to support the effort in driving participation in the survey, we have language and graphics you can use or use as inspiration for your posts at nbphe.org/di-jta-promo-toolkit
How the DI Job Task Analysis Will Be Conducted
NBPHE will conduct the Disease Intervention Job Task Analysis from May 15, 2026 through July 1, 2026. The results of this national survey directly validate the CDI exam content outline and the weighting of domains included on the certification exam.
The process includes:
Finalized development of the comprehensive survey based on preliminary task and competency identification alongside the CDI exam.
Nationwide survey distribution to disease intervention (DI) professionals.
Quantitative analysis to validate the importance and frequency of identified tasks in support of the CDI exam.
DI Job Task Analysis Domains
The DI Job Task Analysis identifies six core domains that collectively represent the scope of disease intervention professionals. These domains form the blueprint for the CDI certification exam.
The JTA survey results will validate the Content Outline developed for the CDI certification program.
Planning and Case Analysis (20%)
This domain outlines the essential steps taken before initiating the interview process. Planning and case analysis involve verifying reported information and using available data sources to obtain additional information about a person diagnosed with an infection to ensure a timely interview and referral to necessary medical and supportive services. Disease intervention professionals use local protocols to prioritize cases to maximize the opportunity for disease intervention.
Interviewing and Case Management (20%)
Interviewing people diagnosed with an infectious disease is a critical disease intervention activity. This domain covers the key aspects of the interview process, and critical communication skills necessary to successfully identify people exposed to an infectious disease for notification and referral to medical and supportive services. Disease intervention professionals ensure that people affected by infectious diseases have the information necessary to seek the prevention and treatment services they need to prevent further transmission and complications. Maintaining confidentiality and prioritizing people-centered communication, as well as attention to the unique needs of the populations served, are vital for building trust with individuals diagnosed with or exposed to infectious diseases.
Field Services and Outreach (20%)
Conducting field investigations in the community requires careful planning. This domain outlines the steps that disease intervention professionals should take to prepare to ensure efficient and timely field investigation activities. Preparing testing and treatment supplies, conducting record searches, and planning field visits in advance will enhance the impact of field investigation activities. While in the field, the disease intervention professional should use effective communication skills and keen observation to ensure their safety while locating people infected with or at risk for an infectious disease.
Surveillance and Data Collection (20%)
Disease intervention professionals play a critical role in verifying information obtained through confidential case reports and gathering supplemental information during the investigation process. This domain outlines the sources disease intervention professionals use to obtain key data elements and the importance of working with health care providers and facilities to ensure timely and complete data collection for reportable conditions.
Collaboration (15%)
This domain addresses the role of collaboration among disease intervention professionals, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations. Collaboration is vital to the success of disease intervention for infectious diseases. Disease intervention professionals serve as a resource for understanding and implementing public health recommendations and reporting requirements.
Outbreak Response and Emergency Preparedness (5%)
This domain outlines the role of disease intervention professionals during an outbreak or public health emergency. Understanding emergency preparedness concepts will ensure that disease intervention professionals are prepared to serve during an outbreak or emergency response. Participating in public health emergency preparedness initiatives allows the disease intervention professional to understand the critical functions and their role so they are ready to engage during an active public health emergency.
From Job Task Analysis to Certification Exam
The Job Task Analysis directly informs:
- The CDI Exam Content Outline
- Further item writing and exam development
- Future exam weighting and scoring
- Ongoing review and updates to reflect evolving practice
A Practice-Based Foundation for Professional Recognition
The Job Task Analysis ensures that the Certified in Disease Intervention (CDI) credential is grounded in practice, shaped by the workforce, and aligned with the real responsibilities disease intervention profressionals carry every day.
By defining and validating these competencies, the JTA supports professional recognition, workforce development, and the continued advancement of disease intervention professionals as a distinct and essential discipline.
Learn more about the Certified in Disease Intervention (CDI) Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Job Task Analysis?
The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) is performing a job task analysis (JTA) for disease intervention (DI) professionals. The JTA is a survey and demographic questionnaire that will be sent via email to DI professionals to gather information about the job tasks they perform regularly. The JTA survey instrument will ask DI professionals to rank the importance of each task and how frequently each task is performed.
What is the purpose and importance of the JTA?
The purpose of the JTA survey is to confirm the day-to-day work of DI professionals across diverse settings, populations, and roles. Survey responses validate that the CDI certification exam is grounded in contemporary disease intervention practice and aligned with the realities of the workforce.
Who should complete the JTA survey instrument?
The survey is only open to professionals working in disease intervention roles. These professionals may work in federal, state, Tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health departments as well as non-profit and clinical settings. These professionals apply their investigation and communication skills to collect surveillance and community health data, conduct one-on-one interviews, provide education, motivate change, and gain the cooperation of others to identify, locate, and inform people who are at risk of infection. Other disease intervention activities often include contact tracing (sometimes called partner services); field investigation and other field-based activities, including specimen collection, directly observed therapy, and community engagement and outreach; counseling, case analysis, collaboration, and engagement with medical providers; and navigation of healthcare systems to support patient evaluation and treatment. DI professionals most commonly work in sexually transmitted infections (STI), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis, and emerging infectious diseases. A wide variety of personnel classifications may conduct disease intervention activities, including other non-licensed (e.g., linkage to care coordinators) and licensed professionals (e.g., nurses, social workers).
Why should DI professionals complete the survey instrument?
Participating in the JTA survey will help validate that the CDI exam reflects the broad scope of tasks, knowledge and abilities and help to ensure that the CDI exam reflects real-world practice. Participation in the JTA survey process helps ensure that the questions on the exam are an accurate reflection of the disease intervention field.
How was the JTA survey instrument developed and piloted?
The JTA survey instrument was developed by the DI Job Task Analysis Committee, which is comprised of subject matter experts (SMEs) experienced in disease intervention and prevention. The committee reviewed and refined the draft instrument to ensure that the tasks and rating scales reflected current practice.
The SMEs also participated in a pilot of the survey to check its clarity, usability, and expected completion time. The purpose of the pilot was to see how well the survey captured information about day‑to‑day job tasks, along with frequency and importance of those tasks, and to confirm the instrument functioned as intended before broader distribution.
What topic areas does the JTA survey cover?
The job tasks listed within the JTA survey instrument have been grouped into six major categories called domains. The following six domains will be covered within the JTA survey instrument:
- Planning and Case Analysis
- Interviewing and Case Management Activities
- Field Services and Outreach Activities
- Surveillance and Data Collection
- Collaboration
- Outbreak Response and Emergency Preparedness
How will I receive the JTA survey instrument?
DI professionals who have provided us with their direct email address will receive a link to access the JTA survey instrument. If you are a DI professional or know one, please complete or share the CDI Learn More Form to be notified when the JTA survey instrument is released.
Will I have to provide my personal information to take the survey?
The survey is designed to collect information about the job tasks performed by disease intervention professionals. The survey will not collect name, date of birth, phone number, email address, or other identifiable information.
How long will it take for me to complete the JTA survey?
It will take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete the JTA survey instrument. It is designed to allow respondents to save and return to complete it at their convenience. The JTA survey instrument is comprehensive to capture all possible tasks and skills required for the job of a disease intervention professional, which ensures that no critical job elements are missed.
What if I don’t perform all the job tasks listed?
DI professionals are not expected to perform every job task listed within the JTA survey instrument as it is designed to collect data from a diverse group of disease intervention professionals and cover the full scope of the profession. If you rarely or never perform a task listed on the JTA survey instrument, only indicate how frequently you perform the task or rate its importance based on your professional judgment.
Do I need to complete the JTA survey instrument all at once?
Survey respondents that use the same device and web browser will be able to exit the survey and re-enter where they left off. Survey respondents may also complete the survey instrument in one sitting.
How long will the JTA survey be available?
The JTA survey instrument will be open to respondents for approximately six (6) weeks.
Who will see my JTA survey responses?
Survey responses will be analyzed by NBPHE’s testing vendor Meazure Learning, Inc. and reviewed by NBPHE, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDI Certification Advisory Committee, and the DI Job Task Analysis Committee. All survey information provided by respondents will be used and reported in aggregate. Individual responses are not reviewed. The data collected via the survey will be securely stored in compliance with applicable data protection standards, and strict confidentiality measures will be implemented to safeguard respondents’ information.
How will the JTA survey results be used?
The results of the JTA will inform updates to the CDI Exam Content Outline, support further item writing and exam maintenance, guide future exam weighting and scoring, and ensure alignment with national professional standards.
Where can I learn more about the CDI certification program?
To learn more about the Certified in Disease Intervention (CDI) certification program, visit NBPHE’s website at nbphe.org/cdi.
Statement of Funding
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under Cooperative Agreement No. NU50CK000612 awarded to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and subawarded to the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) under funding opportunity CDC‑RFA‑CK20‑2003. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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