Dataset Information

Overview of the Health Communication Curriculum in Canadian Master of Public Health Programs.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Competency-based public health education ensures practitioners are well equipped to positively influence the health of the public. The Public Health Agency of Canada's Core Competencies for Public Health has named communication as an essential competency area for practitioners. However, little is known about how Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in Canada support trainees in developing the recommended core competencies in communication.

Objective

Our research aims to provide an overview of the extent to which communication is embedded in the curriculum of MPH programs in Canada.

Design

We conducted an online scan of Canadian MPH course titles and descriptions to determine how many MPH programs offer communication-focused courses (ie, health communication), knowledge mobilization courses (eg, knowledge translation), and other courses that may support communication skills. Two researchers coded the data; discrepancies were resolved via discussion.

Results

Of the 19 MPH programs in Canada, less than half (n = 9) offer courses specifically focused on communication (ie, health communication); these courses are mandatory in only 4 programs. Seven programs offer knowledge mobilization courses; none are mandatory. Sixteen MPH programs offer a total of 63 other public health courses that are not focused on communication but contain communication terms (eg, marketing, literacy) in their course descriptions. No Canadian MPH program has a communication-focused stream or option.

Conclusion

Canadian-trained MPH graduates may not be receiving sufficient communication training to equip them for effective and precise public health practice. This is particularly concerning, given that current events have underlined the importance of health, risk, and crisis communication.

SUBMITTER: MacKay M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10549883 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov-Dec 01

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Overview of the Health Communication Curriculum in Canadian Master of Public Health Programs.

MacKay Melissa M Li Yan Y Papadopoulos Andrew A McWhirter Jennifer E JE

Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP 20230517 6

<h4>Context</h4>Competency-based public health education ensures practitioners are well equipped to positively influence the health of the public. The Public Health Agency of Canada's Core Competencies for Public Health has named communication as an essential competency area for practitioners. However, little is known about how Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in Canada support trainees in developing the recommended core competencies in communication.<h4>Objective</h4>Our research aims to ...[more]

PMID: 37199422

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Project description:BackgroundThe Arab world faces numerous health challenges that mandate a competent public health workforce and strengthening public health education.ObjectiveTo analyze university-based Master of Public Health (MPH) programs offered at Faculties of Public Health (FPH) and of Medicine (FM) in Arab countries.MethodsWe searched a regional database of academic public health institutions, conducted a search of university websites, and reviewed websites of the Association of Arab Universities and World Directory of Medical Schools. A factsheet for each MPH program was emailed to deans of respective faculties for validation and completion. We examined associations between presence of such programs and population size and Human Development Index (HDI).FindingsA total of 19 FPH and 10 FM at 28 universities offer MPH programs (7 programs per 100 million population). Ten countries offer no MPH programs; the remaining 12 offer 1-5 programs each. Ten MPH programs were initiated over 45 years (1965-2009) and another 19 over 10 years (2010-2019). No correlation was observed between offering an MPH program and the country's HDI or population size. Less than half of the programs admit students from fields outside health. FPH and FM-based programs are comparable in offering core disciplines but FPH programs offer more Social and Behavioral Sciences (83% vs. 60%). More FM-based programs provide practicum training (78% vs. 53%); 10 programs offer none. Epidemiology, alone or with Biostatistics, and Health Management and Policy are the two most frequently offered MPH concentrations. None of the MPH programs offer a concentration on public health in conflict or humanitarian crises; only one offers a certificate on the theme. Only three programs, all FPH-based, reported international accreditation.ConclusionsThe recent increase in MPH programs in Arab countries is encouraging. Critical gaps are absence of MPH programs in 10 countries, less coverage of the social sciences, and lack of practicum experience in 10 programs. Upgrading and promoting public health education across the region to fill these gaps calls for collaboration among existing MPH programs. More in-depth analysis of the history and mission of these programs, as well as their admission criteria and curricula, is needed.

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Project description:ObjectivesCommunication plays a pivotal role in addressing modern and complex public health challenges. Our study assessed the extent to which communication-related course outlines in Canadian master of public health (MPH) programs aligned with national and international public health competency frameworks in their coverage of communication competencies.MethodsWe conducted an environmental scan and content analysis of MPH courses relevant to public health communication in 2022 and 2023. We used university and program websites and Google to conduct initial searches and obtain course outlines, supplementing these searches with a survey. We developed a codebook based on public health competencies and pedagogical best practices, capturing variables for communication competencies, audiences, channels, tools, and techniques. Two researchers independently coded course outlines. Descriptive statistics evaluated how these courses address communication-related public health competencies.ResultsWe obtained 11 course outlines offered from 2010 through 2023. The focus of the included courses varied, with health communication (n = 3), knowledge mobilization (n = 3), and risk and/or crisis communication (n = 2) being the most common. All courses broadly aligned with communication competencies related to communication with different audiences (n = 11), and mobilizing (n = 9), interpreting (n = 11), tailoring (n = 9), and facilitating (n = 9) communication. Using technology (n = 4) and media (n = 6), addressing mis/disinformation (n = 1), and communicating with diverse audiences (n = 3) had less alignment.ConclusionsFindings revealed gaps in the coverage of key competencies, particularly in addressing mis/disinformation, leveraging technology and media, communicating with diverse populations, health literacy, and crisis communication. Ongoing review of curriculum would ensure alignment with evolving competencies and public health demands.

Project description:BackgroundSince the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a high demand for rapid evidence syntheses to answer urgent public health questions. This article provides an overview of different types of reviews for public health questions and a synthesis of existing recommendations for the preparation of reviews. The aim is to support the planning of one's own review and the critical evaluation of published reviews.MethodsThe basis of this summary is an extensive search for guidelines and recommendations for different review types. Furthermore, internal journal clubs were held to determine knowledge needs and to critically discuss the various review types. For results dissemination, fact sheets were developed for the individual review types including the most important information, prerequisites and work steps, as well as a decision tree for identifying the appropriate review type for the respective question.ResultsOf the review types identified, Systematic, Rapid, Scoping, Umbrella, and Narrative Reviews were considered in more detail because they are particularly relevant to public health issues. Together with scoping and umbrella reviews, systematic reviews have the highest resource requirements due to the demands for extensive, systematic evidence synthesis and reproducibility. Rapid methods can accelerate the review process, for example by a very narrowly formulated question, a limited literature search, or the execution of certain steps by one instead of two persons.DiscussionSystematic Reviews may be considered as the gold standard, but they were developed primarily for clinical questions relating to interventions. Instead, this article was focused on review types that consider the diversity of questions as well as the predominant use of quantitative methods in the field of public health. The fact sheets developed and the decision tree should enable low-threshold access to reviews while linking the perspectives of research and resource planning. They complement existing guidelines and recommendations.ConclusionTo answer the diverse spectrum of public health questions, various types of reviews with various requirements and approaches are available. Given this diversity, a systematic introduction can be helpful for researchers planning or assessing a review.

Dataset Information

Overview of the Health Communication Curriculum in Canadian Master of Public Health Programs.

Context

Objective

Design

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Overview of the Health Communication Curriculum in Canadian Master of Public Health Programs.

Similar Datasets

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