Table 1.

Nine Modules of the Evidence-Based Public Health Course and Accompanying Learning Objectives.

Module title	Learning objectives
Introduction to evidence-based decision making	Understand the basic concepts of evidence-based decision making Introduce some sources and types of evidence Describe several applications within public health practice that are based on strong evidence and several that are based on weak evidence Define some barriers to evidence-based decision making in public health settings
Assessing the community	Understand the importance of conducting a community assessment, including the role of coalitions/partnerships Understand the types of data that are appropriate for assessing the needs and assets of the population/community of interest Understand the major steps in the community assessment process
Quantifying the issue	Measure and characterize disease frequency in defined populations using principles of descriptive epidemiology and surveillance Find and use various public health data sources for evidence-based decision making
Developing a concise statement of the issue	Understand the criteria for the components of a sound problem statement Develop a concise written statement of the public health problem, issue or policy under consideration in a measurable manner
Searching and summarizing the scientific literature	Understand the different types of reviews Understand the process used in systematic reviews and become familiar the Community Guide Become familiar with other web resources for public health systematic reviews Develop skills for efficient and effective literature searches and assessment Use recommended guidelines for searching the scientific literature
Prioritizing program and policy options	Identify methods for prioritizing program and policy options (Types 1, 2, and 3) Explore the role of creativity and group processes in developing intervention options. Introduce the role of group processes in adaptation of interventions
Economic evaluation	Explain the differences between types of economic evaluations most often used in public health Define key terms used in economic evaluations Describe the steps involved in conducting an economic evaluation
Developing action plans and logic models	Identify key characteristics and principles in successful action planning Understand when and how to adapt interventions for different communities, cultures, and settings Identify the steps in action planning Understand the purpose and use of logic models Be able to construct a logic model worksheet
Evaluating the program or policy	Understand the basic components of program evaluation Understand the various types of evaluation designs useful in program evaluation Understand the concepts of measurement validity and reliability Understand the contributions of both qualitative and quantitative data to the evidence based process Understand some of the methods used in qualitative evaluation Understand how to report and disseminate results Understand organizational issues in evaluation