In an effort to measure training impact in PHTCs across the country, starting in June 2016, public health training centers across the country adopted 4 “common metrics” evaluation question in most trainings.*   NEPHTC is pleased to share its most recent common metrics for trainings in the period January 1, 2017-June 30, 2017.

*not always possible to collect depending on partner evaluation situation

Workplace action is always an area of particular importance to health departments and employers.

The common metric question “I have identified actions I will take to apply information I learned in this training from my work” is a simple self-evaluation from trainees about workplace impact.   NEPHTC’s overall result across all measured trainings in six months ending June 30, 2017 is 88% (agree or strongly agree with statement).

Buried in that result is the various scores received by a wide mix of trainings.  Some trainings have clear actions that can be taken, while other trainings cover important topics that may nonetheless not be practices employees will encounter in the short term. For example,  Grant writing is a skill public health  employers generally want their public health managers to improve, but is also a skill that not all managers will plan on implementing in a given year.

More common metrics:

NEPHTC would particularly like to highlight the impressive results of SHIELD, the School Health Institute for Leadership and Education Development.

SHIELD trains Massachusetts school nurses and other school personnel under a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Health.  SHIELD’s measure of trainee-identified “workplace actions” was higher by 3 percentage points than NEPHTC trainings overall.  This measure is helpful in addressing the concern of substance use: many of SHIELD’s trainings provide SBIRT training (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) in school-aged populations.  Also of note is the tremendous number of trainings offered: 61 in the six month time period ending June 20, 2017, covering a large number of school nurses across Massachusetts.

To see or download the complete Common Metrics pdf, click here