Oral

In light of multi-media reports of health-related events, issues, and policies, and as population-based aspects of health risk and disease take on growing relevance in a shrinking world, wider understanding of the science of epidemiology is becoming increasingly critical. Epidemiologists would argue that knowledge of epidemiology can significantly impact individual health decision-making and societal health policies and actions. Yet from an educational perspective, opportunities to learn about epidemiology are largely limited to graduate programs in schools of public health, and more recently, in undergraduate programs. We identify several key groups where a strong case can be made for immediate, accelerated exposure to the science of epidemiology. One such group is the overall public health workforce. Another is members of the media who cover news on health & public health issues and policies, as well as their general population audience. Additional important targets include our youth, and those who teach them in formal and informal educational settings. In this invited session, presenters will describe the importance and current status of educating these target groups about epidemiology (and science in general), including examples of successes and discussion of gaps and challenges encountered. The final minutes of the session will be devoted to presenter and audience discussion of how the APHA’s Epidemiology Section and its newly-established Education Committee can help to initiate and enhance efforts to teach epidemiology to members of these key groups.

Session Objectives: Describe the current status and future challenges in providing useful epidemiology education to our public health workforce Identify the gaps in knowledge among the media and general public that hinder the reporting of health & public health events, issues and policies, and what educational strategies can improve this Explain the efforts in the past decade to provide epidemiology education to our youth, and professional development to their teachers so they can teach a science they themselves did not learn in school Identify possible pathways for the Epidemiology Section’s new Education Committee to advance epidemiology education in key target groups

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)