AI Article Synopsis
- There is a critical need to enhance the skills and confidence of public health workers through programs like Public Health Essentials, which focuses on building strategic capabilities for community-based health work.
- A study using mixed methods evaluated the longer-term outcomes of this program, examining skill retention and application among graduates to see its effects on workforce retention and community health improvements.
- Results showed significant skill gains among participants, indicating that the program not only boosts self-perceived abilities and practical skills but also improves motivation to continue careers in public health and engage in community projects.
Article Abstract
Introduction: There is an urgent need to build capacity among existing and incoming public health workers to enhance community-based work focused on prevention and health promotion. Public Health Essentials, a cohort-based facilitated asynchronous online capacity building intervention, was designed to build public health workers' strategic skills and professional confidence. Earlier research reported on the short-term learning outcomes of the intervention; in this paper, the authors report on results from a longer-term outcomes evaluation, including skill retention, skill application, and possible indicators of workforce retention and community health improvement.
Methods: A sequential mixed-methods research design was used to assess and explore longer-term outcomes among a sample of Public Health Essentials graduates working in community public health roles.
Results: Some 46% of eligible Public Health Essentials graduates (=70) completed a skills survey at 3 time points: before Public Health Essentials completion, after Public Health Essentials completion, and 3-6 months after Public Health Essentials completion. Longitudinal analysis of responses showed statistically significant skill gains over baseline (beginner → proficient, <0.005), despite a slight drop in self-perceived ability 3-6 months after Public Health Essentials completion. Qualitative interviews with respondents and focus groups with their supervisors suggest that Public Health Essentials completion benefits participants' everyday work by developing strategic skills and grounding their work in shared public health language, paradigms, and values. Broader reported benefits include the ability to apply new skills to community public health prevention projects and expressed motivation to continue to work in public health.
Conclusions: Successful completion of Public Health Essentials provides learners with durable skills applicable to public health work and may spur interest in continuing to work in the field of public health. The importance of developing and retaining a competent community-focused public health workforce cannot be overstated. Comprehensive-facilitated, online asynchronous capacity building programs may be an effective tool.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11426069 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2024.100268 | DOI Listing |
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