TY - JOUR AU - Gibbert, Wesley S. AU - Keating, Shannon M. AU - Jacobs, Julie A. AU - Dodson, Elizabeth AU - Baker, Elizabeth AU - Diem, Gunter PY - 2013 TI - Training the Workforce in Evidence-Based Public Health: An Evaluation of Impact Among US and International Practitioners T2 - Preventing Chronic Disease JO - Prev Chronic Dis SP - E148 VL - 10 CY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. N2 - INTRODUCTION The Prevention Research Center in St. Louis developed a course on evidence-based public health in 1997 to train the public health workforce in implementation of evidence-based public health. The objective of this study was to assess use and benefits of the course and identify barriers to using evidence-based public health skills as well as ways to improve the course. METHODS We used a mixed-method design incorporating on-site pre- and post-evaluations among US and international course participants who attended from 2008 through 2011 and web-based follow-up surveys among course participants who attended from 2005 through 2011 (n = 626). Respondents included managers, specialists, and academics at state health departments, local health departments, universities, and national/regional health departments. RESULTS We found significant improvement from pre- to post-evaluation for 11 measures of knowledge, skill, and ability. Follow-up survey results showed at least quarterly use of course skills in most categories, majority endorsement of most course benefits, and lack of funding and coworkers who do not have evidence-based public health training as the most significant barriers to implementation of evidence-based public health. Respondents suggested ways to increase evidence-based decision making at their organization, focusing on organizational support and continued access to training. CONCLUSION Although the evidence-based public health course is effective in improving self-reported measures of knowledge, skill, and ability, barriers remain to the implementation of evidence-based decision making, demonstrating the importance of continuing to offer and expand training in evidence-based public health. SN - 1545-1151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130120 DO - 10.5888/pcd10.130120 ER -