The use of public health e-learning resources by pharmacists in Wales: a quantitative evaluation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine how communicable disease e-learning resources were utilised by pharmacy professionals and to identify whether uptake of the resources was influenced by disease outbreaks.

METHOD: Retrospective analysis of routine data regarding the number of individuals completing e-learning resources and statutory notifications of communicable disease.

RESULTS

A high proportion of pharmacy professionals in Wales (38.8%, n = 915/2357) accessed the resources; around one in six completed multiple resources (n = 156). The most commonly accessed were those where there had been a disease outbreak during the study period. There was a strong positive correlation between e-learning uptake and number of disease cases; this was observed both for measles and scarlet fever.

CONCLUSIONS

Communicable disease e-learning appears to be an acceptable method for providing communicable disease information to pharmacy professionals. Study findings suggest that e-learning uptake is positively influenced by disease outbreaks this reflects well both on pharmacy professionals and on the e-learning resources themselves.