title: The Northwest's Hot Topics in Preparedness forum: a novel distance-learning collaborative.
abstract: The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Washington hosts a training forum, called Hot Topics in Preparedness, that is delivered via a synchronous, Web conferencing system. These monthly, 1-hour sessions focus on key topics related to emergency preparedness for public health professionals and their emergency response partners in the Northwest region. This distance learning series was conceived and implemented as a regional collaborative, overseen by an advisory board representing state, local, and tribal health agencies. Results of session evaluations, challenges, and lessons learned from the first year of the Hot Topics in Preparedness forum are reported. Web conferencing is a popular, convenient, and effective strategy for delivering training in the rapidly changing field of preparedness across a large geographic region.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shield
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stergachis
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D040381:Education, Public Health Professional / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014861:Washington