NDLI: Considerations for adapting digital competencies and training approaches to the public health workforce: an interpretive description of practitioners’ perspectives in Canada

Content Provider	Springer Nature : BioMed Central
Author	Iyamu, Ihoghosa Ramachandran, Swathi Chang, Hsiu-Ju Kushniruk, Andre Ibáñez-Carrasco, Francisco Worthington, Catherine Davies, Hugh McKee, Geoffrey Brown, Adalsteinn Gilbert, Mark
Abstract	Background Widespread digital transformation necessitates developing digital competencies for public health practice. Given work in 2024 to update Canada’s public health core competencies, there are opportunities to consider digital competencies. In our previous research, we identified digital competency and training recommendations within the literature. In this study, we explored public health practitioners' experiences and perspectives on adapting identified digital competencies and training recommendations for Canada. Methods Between November and December 2023, we conducted an interpretive description using four focus groups with 19 public health practitioners working in regional and federal health authorities across Canada, with at least 3 years’ experience in current roles and experience using digital technologies in practice. We explored practitioners’ experiences using digital technologies and sought their opinions on how digital competency recommendations previously identified could be adapted to Canada’s context. To generate deep insights of practitioners’ subjective experiences and perspectives, we analyzed verbatim transcripts using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Results We identified three main themes: a) public health systems must evolve to support new digital competencies; b) strengthen the basics before extending towards digital competencies; and c) focus on building general digital competencies with options for specialization where necessary. Findings emphasized matching workforce digital competencies to public health system capabilities and meaningfully integrating digital competencies within existing curricula. Such integration can consider how digital technologies change current public health practice to ensure practitioners are better able to address contemporary public health problems. Findings demonstrated roles for specialized digital programs as resources for learning within health systems and emphasized hands-on real-world training approaches. Conclusion We need integrated, systems-focused approaches to digital competencies cutting across the current public health curriculum, while creating space for specialized digital public health competencies and roles. Further research is needed to understand requirements for enacting these recommendations in practice.
Related Links	https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12889-024-21089-1.pdf
Ending Page	12
Page Count	12
Starting Page	1
File Format	HTM / HTML
ISSN	14712458
DOI	10.1186/s12889-024-21089-1
Journal	BMC Public Health
Issue Number	1
Volume Number	25
Language	English
Publisher	BioMed Central
Publisher Date	2025-01-10
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Public Health Medicine Epidemiology Biostatistics Vaccine Environmental Health Competency-based education Professional competence Digital public health Health workforce Health equity Medicine/Public Health
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Journal Impact Factor	3.5/2023
5-Year Journal Impact Factor	3.9/2023

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Epidemiology Competency Development and Application to Training for Local and Regional Public Health Practitioners

Core competencies for health headquarters: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

Developing public health competency statements and frameworks: a scoping review and thematic analysis of approaches

From Competencies to Capacity: Assessing the National Epidemiology Workforce

Role and competency model for coordination tasks in municipal health promotion: findings from an integrative review

Burnout among public health workers in Canada: a cross-sectional study

Assessment of Applied Epidemiology Competencies among the Virginia Department of Health Workforce

Perspectives of parents of working adolescents in Ontario, Canada

Social equity in Human Papillomavirus vaccination: a natural experiment in Calgary Canada

Considerations for adapting digital competencies and training approaches to the public health workforce: an interpretive description of practitioners’ perspectives in Canada

Similar Documents

Epidemiology Competency Development and Application to Training for Local and Regional Public Health Practitioners

Core competencies for health headquarters: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

Developing public health competency statements and frameworks: a scoping review and thematic analysis of approaches

From Competencies to Capacity: Assessing the National Epidemiology Workforce

Role and competency model for coordination tasks in municipal health promotion: findings from an integrative review

Burnout among public health workers in Canada: a cross-sectional study

Assessment of Applied Epidemiology Competencies among the Virginia Department of Health Workforce

Perspectives of parents of working adolescents in Ontario, Canada

Social equity in Human Papillomavirus vaccination: a natural experiment in Calgary Canada

Considerations for adapting digital competencies and training approaches to the public health workforce: an interpretive description of practitioners’ perspectives in Canada