scholarly journals Preparing the public health workforce for digital health futures: the case for digital Health training & capacity building

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Wong ◽  
S Buttigieg ◽  
D Vital Brito
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Digital technologies are rapidly being integrated into a wide range of health fields, public health in particular. While ‘digital health' has the potential to significantly improve population health and well-being outcomes, its effective implementation and responsible use are contingent on building a public health workforce with a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the digital transformations in health. In particular, the next generation of public health professionals-namely youth-must be adequately prepared to maximise the potential of these digital transformations. This presentation will highlight three key priority areas which should be prioritised in digital health education in public health to fully harness the potential benefits of digital health: capacity building, opportunities for youth, and an ethics-driven approach. It will also present applications of digital health (technologies) and best practices for public health education.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Education for Public Health: A Practical Foundation for Solidarity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Professionals

Abstract Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals. We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents. Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations. The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals. Key messages Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.

Discovering User Preferences for Digital Health in Well-being Apps (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neta Kela ◽  
Eleanor Eytam ◽  
Adi Katz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Product ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Range Of Functions ◽  
Mhealth Apps

UNSTRUCTURED The desire for healthcare organizations to reduce the cost of chronic care and to prevent disease from occurring to begin with, has coincided with the development of new technology that is revolutionizing digital health. Numerous health-oriented mobile phone applications (referred to as mHealth apps) have been developed and are available for download into smartphones. These mHealth apps serve a wide range of functions. There are apps that monitor data to treat or avoid chronic illness; apps for managing daily activities and diet; apps promoting healthy choices for people who want to maintain and improve their overall health, and many others. While it is generally recognized that mHealth apps have a significant potential for promoting public health, little research has been done to determine user preferences for such apps. Understanding what users want in their mHealth apps can help increase their acceptability and encourage healthy lifestyles. The research in this article tests the major product qualities of such apps, asking two key questions: Do users seek interaction with a live physician, or are they willing to rely on artificial intelligence to analyze data from their app? Which aspects of their app do they consider as having a positive instrumental, aesthetic, or symbolic value? Next, the research presented here tests how these judgments influence product preference. The contribution of this paper is its focus on user preferences which may help in the design of mHealth apps to better address peoples’ needs—thus encouraging a wide, frequent, and effective use of such tools which promote public health.

scholarly journals Behavioral Communication Strategies for Global Epidemics: An Innovative Model for Public Health Education and Humanitarian Response

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483992091646
Author(s):  
Chris Dickey ◽  
Emily Holzman ◽  
Juliet Bedford ◽  
Erma Manoncourt ◽  
Clay Shirky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
New York University ◽  
Humanitarian Response ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Innovative Model ◽  
Behavioral Communication

In response to a number of growing global health challenges, New York University and UNICEF designed a Behavioral Communication Strategies for Global Epidemics course that brings together United Nations professionals, government staff, and MPH (Master of Public Health) students to design innovative social behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies that address disease outbreaks and humanitarian challenges around the world. Applying a systems approach, participants in the course work on interdisciplinary teams to design strategies, develop skills, and engage in global learning. At the culmination of the course, all teams present strategies to UNICEF country offices for implementation. This innovative model for disease outbreak, public health education, and humanitarian response provides professionals with an opportunity to develop a wide range of competencies, including systems thinking, behavior change, and human-centered design and equips them with the necessary tools to develop more novel approaches to SBCC. As the number of outbreaks and humanitarian challenges increase each year, this format for learning can serve as a model for how professionals can effectively address these complex crises.

scholarly journals A Strategic Approach to Public Health Workforce Development and Capacity Building

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. S288-S296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel D. Dean ◽  
Ranell L. Myles ◽  
Crystal Spears-Jones ◽  
Audriene Bishop-Cline ◽  
Kevin A. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Health Workforce Development

scholarly journals Assessing the Capacity for Public Health Education in India:  Recommendations from a Mixed Methods Landscape Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meike Schleiff ◽  
Haley Brahmbhatt ◽  
Preetika Banerjee ◽  
Megha Reddy ◽  
Emily Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Desk Review ◽  
And Training

Abstract Background: Public health training has been expanding in India in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional attention to the importance of public health programs and the need for a strong workforce. This paper aims to assess the current capacity for public health education and training in India and provide recommendations for improved approaches to meet current and future public health needs. Methods: We conducted a desk review of public health training programs via extensive internet searches, literature reviews and expert faculty consultations. Among those programs, we purposively selected faculty members to participate in in-depth interviews. We developed summary statistics based on the desk review. For qualitative analysis, we utilized a combination of deductive and inductive coding to identify key themes and systematically reviewed strengths and weaknesses for each theme. Results: The desk review captured 59 institutions offering public health training across India. The majority of training programs were graduate level degrees including master of public health (MPH) and master of science (MS) degrees. Key themes included collaborations, mentorship, curriculum standardization, tuition and funding, and student demand for public health education and careers. Collaborations and mentorship were highly valued but varied in quality across institutions. Curricula lacked standardization but also contained substantial flexibility and innovation as a result. Public sector programs were affordable and student stipend varied across institutions. Further development of the demand-side with greater opportunities for career for careers in public health is needed. Conclusion: Public health education and training in India has a strong foothold. There are numerous opportunities for continued expansion and strengthening of this field, to support a robust multi-disciplinary public health workforce that will contribute towards achieving the sustainable development goals.

scholarly journals Undergraduate public health degree courses in India: selected overview

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 4224
Author(s):  
Vibha Joshi ◽  
Nitin Kumar Joshi ◽  
Komal Bajaj ◽  
Praveen Suthar ◽  
Gregory Fant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
The Public ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Undergraduate Public Health

Background: Building the public health workforce in India along with strengthening the public health systems across the Nation are essential components necessary to achieve the sustainable development goals for India. In the Indian context, there is limited information available for undergraduate public health education. The central aim of this brief study is to elucidate the undergraduate public health education landscape at selected institutions in India.Methods: A mixed methods approach was used in this brief study. First, cross-sectional, scoping review was used. Then, to describe student perceptions and attitude towards undergraduate public health curriculum, primary data were collected by using a questionnaire. A self-administered questionnaire was developed after extensive literature search. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize questionnaire results. Chi-square tests were used to help identify factors that may influence student perceptions and attitudes.Results: Through scoping rapid review and internet search, eight institutions were identified that are offering undergraduate public health courses in India. Most institutes in India have 3 years duration for the undergraduate public health degree courses. Most of students (89%) believed that the undergraduate public health course increased their knowledge in the field of public health. We found an association between student perceptions about community benefits from trained undergraduate public health workforce.Conclusions: The undergraduate public health education initiatives should be promoted and envisioned as a new strategy for public health capacity-building in public health in India.

scholarly journals Harnessing the digital potential of the next generation of health professionals

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L. H. Wong ◽  
Mark P. Khurana ◽  
Robert D. Smith ◽  
Omnia El-Omrani ◽  
Ave Pold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Healthcare Outcomes ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Digital Ethics ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Practical Experiences

AbstractDigital technologies are rapidly being integrated into a wide range of health fields. This new domain, often termed ‘digital health’, has the potential to significantly improve healthcare outcomes and global health equity more broadly. However, its effective implementation and responsible use are contingent on building a health workforce with a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the digital transformations in health. More specifically, the next generation of health professionals—namely youth—must be adequately prepared to maximise the potential of these digital transformations. In this commentary, we highlight three priority areas which should be prioritised in digital education to realise the benefits of digital health: capacity building, opportunities for youth, and an ethics-driven approach. Firstly, capacity building requires educational frameworks and curricula to not only be updated, but to also place an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Secondly, opportunities are important for youth to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes and gain invaluable practical experiences. Thirdly, training in digital ethics and the responsible use of data as a standard component of education will help to safeguard against potential future inequities resulting from the implementation and use of digital health technologies.

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