UB "Foundations of Public Health": An asynchronous, web-based interprofessional educational series

Public health needs of the 21st century are daunting and require the development of a broad based competent workforce with unprecedented interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Therefore, inculcating a fundamental knowledge of public health across an array of health related professions is essential. The University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions (UB-SPHHP), recently accredited by CEPH, developed an asynchronous learning tool that infuses foundational knowledge of public health within the health related professional disciples of Exercise Science, Occupational and Physical Therapy, and Nutrition. Twelve core modules, equivalent to 1.4 credits, introduce the students to the core competencies of public health including public health history, epidemiology, environmental health, public health practice, public health law, health behaviors, health disparities, health policy, disease prevention, careers, and healthy aging in a way that highlights the value, relevance, and contribution of the health related professions to public health. Learning objectives, course content, and student assessments for each module were developed by faculty and public health practitioners with appropriate content expertise. The educational series is delivered using UBlearns, a web-based instructional platform. Access to the Foundations series, module performance, grading and evaluations are strictly controlled. Users are encouraged to provide feedback to facilitate ongoing improvement of the series. In conclusion, development of the UB Foundations of Public Health educational series enables an easily accessible, methodologically sound way to certify that students of UB-SPHHP graduate with a foundational understanding of public health and its relationship with other health professions.