Using a Canadian Online Public Health Professional Development program in the Caribbean.

Hilary Robinson, Public Health Agency of CanadaAnnella Auer, Pan American Health Organisation

What is Skills Online?

• Highly successful Online continuing professional

development program for front line public health

professionals• Series of online facilitated modules in English and French• Offered free of charge in Canada to public health

professionals since Spring 2002• Up to Autumn 2007, 4195 modules have been completed in

English and French• Previous international collaboration with Latrobe University,

Melbourne, Australia

Need for Skills Online in the Caribbean• Increasing demands on Public health workers –

non-communicable disease and HIV/AIDs• Lack of professional development opportunities• Shrinking workforce due to migration (esp. nurses)

means individuals may have to take on PH work in

addition to work they are already doing.

Skills Online PAHO collaborationDiscussions beginning 2007 to use the first

three foundation modules of Skills online;• First module for Caribbean learners was

offered in Spring 2007• To date there have been 40 Caribbean

participants-demand for participation is

high reflecting a perceived need.

Participant Selection

• Participants for the modules are selected by the

Ministries of Health within the Caribbean countries

in consultation with the local PAHO office• Some countries are using the opportunity to

enhance the skills of a particular profession or

work group – e.g. Trinidad and Tobago are trying

to upgrade the skills of the health policy and

planning unit of the Ministry of Health.

Participation of Caribbean learners

• So far 40 learners from the Caribbean

have participated in Skills Online modules• EPI1 – 41 (one learner participated twice)

• EPI2 - 15• EPI3 - 1

Module completion

Module Enrolled Completed Percentage

EPI1 41 29 71%

EPI2 15 13 87%

EPI3 1 1 100%

Total 57 43 75%

EPI1 - Basic epidemiologic conceptsEPI2 - Measurement of Health StatusEPI3 – Epidemiologic Methods

8

Country Participants

Bahamas 3

Belize 3

Guyana 4

Jamaica 3

Trinidad and Tobago

12

St Lucia 3

St Kitts and Nevis

3

Grenada 2

Anguilla 1

St Vincent and Grenadine

3

Antigua and Barbuda

3

Participation by Country

Participation By Professional Background

Professional Background Completed Module

Nurse 7

Public health inspector 1

Nutritionist 4

Doctor 8

Program officer 11

PH Manager 7

Pharmacist 1

Health Educator 1

Place of work:

Work place

Ministry of Health 26

Regional Health Authority 7

Hospital 2

PAHO Regional office 1

Post Module survey response

53 learners completed the specific PAHO survey – (out of 57 – 93%)

41 completed the evaluation survey in the module – (out of 55* - 75%)

Learners were encouraged to complete the post module evaluation at the end of the session. In addition learners were asked to complete and additional e-mailed survey which was specific to the PAHO Caribbean project.

*learners who failed to complete the module did not complete the post module evaluation included in the module but some did complete the specific PAHO survey

Demographics

• 45% of participants were 39 years or

younger and 55% aged 40-59 years• 66% female• 66% of participants had been working in

their current capacity for 10 years or less

Connections

• 68% of learners accessed the internet from home• 75% of learners visited the module 3 or more

times per week• Based on e-mails and the evaluation replies, 53%

of learners experienced technical challenges;

most were related to their internet access

Connections

“…my internet service interruptions were frequent

and disruptive.”

“I had great difficulty accessing the site, at first I

could not get in and when I did manage to log in I

would loose connection within less than five

minutes.”

Support

• 53% of participants were given sufficient or some

time during work hours to work on the module,• 32% said that they preferred to work from home• 37% of participants said that their supervisor did

not support their learning

“My workplace suggested me as a representative to

complete the module but I had to find the time”

Experience with the module

• 93% felt that they had developed confidence to

learn difficult subject matter• 93% enjoyed the ability to work at their own pace• The barriers to completion most commonly cited

were:- work and family commitments and

technical problems with internet connections

Future Participation

• All responders would recommend the

module to others• 96% would like to take other skills modules

in the future

Applicability and relevance

• 95% reported that they could apply what they learned to

their routine work

“This first experience has really developed me professionally.

The structure of the modules and the constant reminders to

relate the content presented to your work experience or

that of your colleagues, really make it hands on.”

Facilitation

• So far all modules have been facilitated by

Canadian facilitators• One Caribbean facilitator assisted in

facilitating the Winter EPI1 module.

Facilitator’s notes

• Slow starts - The discussions took a long time to get going – by the end of

the module learners were really starting to respond to each other. This

occurred in the second module too but the facilitator was prepared and

intervened early to stimulate discussion. Learners struggled to keep to the

time line – many were slow getting started.• Problems with learning styles – difficulty with the idea of facilitation vs.

teaching• Lack of conference calls maybe an issue. It was felt that this would have

been helpful early in the module• There were some content issues related to Canadian data and content.

Conclusions• Skills Online appears to be a useful continuing

professional development tool for the Caribbean• Technical access, workplace support and time

management are the main issues for learners• Adaption of the program and adoption by a local

organization are future considerations.

Conclusions - additional considerations

• A large group of people can access the online

training – more than if it was in person (costs of

travel etc).• Countries can target specific professional or work

groups in accordance with their own HRH strategy• Improved communication within and between

countries as contacts are established.

Next steps?• May 08 – Epi1, EPI2 and EPI3 Caribbean modules

will be offered• PAHO and Skills Online will continue to work

together to explore adaption and adoption of the

program in the Caribbean• Adaption of content and context • Adoption by local agencies• Incorporation into PAHO Virtual Campus of Public

Health

“I liked it. Will do it again.”

For more information contact: hilary_robinson@phac-aspc.gc.ca