Analysis of Available Online Training for Canadian Public Health Professionals

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the trends and gaps in online training available for Canadian public health professionals. Our second objective was to compare the available courses to the Skills Online modules offered by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Examining solely Canadian providers, elements collected for each online course included source, cost, type of delivery, duration, language, and accreditation. The seven categories of Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada were matched accordingly to each course based on the available description. A total of 113 online courses were identified, with universities being the leading providers (39%). Two distinct groups of online courses were observed: self-directed and facilitated. Of the 53 self-directed courses, 93% were offered without cost, all could be completed within 5 hours, and none offered university credits for completion. For the 60 facilitated courses, 98% charged a registration fee and 97% required at least 25 hours of time commitment. Facilitated courses primarily administered university credits (56%) or continuing education credits (24%). Additionally, facilitated courses showed a more balanced coverage of the seven core competency categories than self-directed courses. Skills Online offered one of the most comprehensive sets of online courses in public health and was the only provider of facilitated courses in both English and French. Further study is needed to determine the knowledge transfer characteristics of self-directed versus facilitated online training for public health professionals. To improve awareness and access, a database of online Canadian public health courses is recommended.