The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #58181

Ammon S. Ripple, MLS¹, Anthony J. Silvestre, PhD, LSW², and Michael D. Shankle, MPH². (1) Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Falk Library of the Health Sciences, 200 Scaife Hall, DeSoto and Terrace Streets, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, 412-648-1251, ammon2@pitt.edu, (2) Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 3520 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

The Internet is a tool that has not yet been fully exploited by public health practitioners. MPH curricula typically have not included the information skills necessary to retrieve public health information on the Internet or the web development skills necessary to disseminate health information as online public health interventions. To address these gaps, public health teaching faculty and faculty librarians have collaborated to design a new MPH course. The objective of the course is to teach practical information retrieval skills, web development skills (such as HTML and graphics management) and related theory to empower public health practitioners to effectively exploit the power and pervasiveness of the Internet. The course is designed to be a hands-on learning experience with classes held in a computing lab classroom located in the health sciences library. Students learn strategies for efficiently retrieving and evaluating public health information and the technical and design skills needed to create new online information resources which transcend the limitations of traditional paper-based health intervention methods such as pamphlets and flyers. The final project requires students to research a health topic relevant to a specific population and to create an effective online intervention for that population. The combined expertise of faculty librarians and public health teaching faculty provides students with a more robust learning experience. Students are equipped to understand both information behaviors and health behaviors, the combination of which is essential to the successful development of online health interventions. The course is evaluated by survey and by group interview.

Learning Objectives:

• In this session, participants will:
• 2. Identify key information retrieval and web development skills MPH students need in order to effectively create online health interventions;
  4. Discuss the issues and challenges related to the development of an information retrieval and web development skills course in an MPH program;and
  6. Evaluate the benefits of team-teaching such a course with library and information professionals.

Keywords: Public Health Curriculum, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.