Training the public health workforce one byte at a time and the challenges of evaluation

As the state capital in the largest state east of Mississippi, Atlanta is often viewed in Georgia, as the hub of public health expertise. Atlanta contains three university/college public health preparation programs and is home to CDC, American Cancer Society, and National Arthritis Foundation. Because of its location in Atlanta, the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness (Emory CPHP) has the unique opportunity to tap into local and national preparedness expertise and disseminate it broadly throughout Georgia and the U.S. The Emory CPHP uses technology as a primary strategy for disseminating this expertise. Since its creation in 2002, the Emory CPHP has developed more than 85 technology-enhanced instructional activites (lectures, conference proceedings, interactive trainings, case studies) that are distributed via CD-ROM, webcasts, and/or podcasts. More than 28,000 copies have been distributed to state and local public health workers across Georgia and the nation. Emory CPHP trainings are evaluated using a variety of methods: alpha and beta testing, pilot testing, pre/post-tests, and/or in-depth evaluations. The data from these evaluations are used to assess learner knowledge and competence and in the development of future trainings. One of the challenges of evaluating enduring training materials like CD-ROMs and webcasts, is also its strength … the ability for enduring training materials to reach a widespread audience and the ability for this audience to use the trainings when the need arises (e.g., just-in-time training). This presentation will talk about the evaluation methodologies used by the Emory CPHP, challenges, and potential solutions.