The health agency training program: Continuing education courses in biostatistics and epidemiology

The authors describe the development and evaluation of a continuing education program in biostatistics and epidemiology. Short courses were presented to public health and mental health professionals using teaching strategies that included lecture, discussion, practice-oriented examples, and interactive problem-solving. A total of 1723 health professionals attended one or more of the 120 courses presented from 1992 to 1996 in seven US states. Most course participants were female: the highest education level for 40% was a bachelor's degree, while 42% had advanced degrees. Approximately 66% of participants signed up For continuing education credits. The program represents a successful partnership between an academic institution and health agencies in a seven-state region.