177852 Assessing the online public health education needs, interests, and current capacities of Wisconsin public health professionals

Monday, October 27, 2008

Kaija Zusevics, MPH, CHES , Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Milwaukee, WI
Public health professionals nationwide are interested in continuing their education in an online format due to its various time, financial, and accessibility benefits. However, it is important for program developers to identify public health professionals' use of and confidence with various technologies and formats. In Wisconsin, public health professionals have expressed their interest and need for online education in recent surveys. The specific technology and public health content needs, capacities, and preferences of a selection of Wisconsin public health professionals were assessed in a 2007 surveyed which will be discussed in this presentation. Included will be the survey methodology, population selected, collection and analysis of data, conclusions, and recommendations for public health online continuing education and professional development current and future public health practice and professional development. Findings clarify what technologies are used by public health professionals in Wisconsin, as well as their confidence in using them. Furthermore, this research identified what appropriate technologies, formats, and topics should be included in online learning environments that are supportive and reflective of today's Wisconsin public health learners and workers. Recommendations for future research in the arena of public health online education, as well as guidelines for practice will be presented. In addition, resources on currently available and planned online continuing education modules for public health employees will be shared.

Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will understand the research methods that were utilized to complete a base-line assessment of public health professional online education needs, capacities, and preferences. 2. Participants will learn Wisconsin public health professionals’ confidence and interest levels in online education technologies, formats, and topics. 3. Participants will recognize recommendations that reflect Wisconsin public health professionals’ online learning needs, as well as identify current and upcoming online professional development courses, degrees, and modules for public health professionals.

Keywords: Distance Learning, Professional Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted the research, compiled and analyzed the data, and wrote the material associated with this public health topic.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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