Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105954

Jennifer A. Horney, MPH¹, Erin E. Rothney, MPH¹, Lorraine K. Alexander, DrPH², and Pia D.M. MacDonald, PhD, MPH². (1) North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8165, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165, 919-843-5566, jen.horney@unc.edu, (2) Department of Epidemiology / North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8165, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165

The North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness (NCCPHP) is a member of a network of centers responsible for improving the capacity of the public health workforce to prepare for and respond to terrorism and other emerging public health threats. On its training Web site, NCCPHP offers more than 100 free Internet-based training modules with continuing education credits on topics such as agents of bioterrorism, outbreak investigation, and emerging and reemerging disease agents. NCCPHP conducted a survey of registered training site users to determine module effectiveness, identify topics for new modules, and gather user demographic data. Collecting and analyzing this information is important for continuous improvement of training services and for marketing. Of 2,760 registered users, 416 (15.1%) participated in the survey. 98% said the training module provided them with the information they were looking for. 92% said the modules made them feel better equipped to do their job. 62% had recommended the training site to colleagues and 61% had it bookmarked on their computers. 54% responded that the site is one of the first 3 places they go online to look for training in terrorism and other emerging health threats. Results for the two largest groups, epidemiologists (N=68) and public health nurses (N=61) will also be presented. Respondents desired more training in emerging and reemerging disease agents, outbreak investigation, epidemiology methods, and surveillance. Short, online modules are a highly effective way to provide necessary information to public health workers in areas related to public health preparedness.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Assess the ability of short online modules to improve general knowledge and awareness of topics related to public health preparedness.
• Target subject areas for expansion of online training.
• Differentiate between the training needs and interests of demographic groups of online training participants.

Keywords: Internet, Training

Related Web page: www.sph.unc.edu/nccphp/training/index.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.