title: The use of public health e-learning resources by pharmacists in Wales: a quantitative evaluation.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors: Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Evans
authors: Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Sian
authors: S
authors: Evans
authors: Wales Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education, Cardiff School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Debra
authors: D
authors: Roberts
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D018563:Disease Notification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007858:Learning; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014852:Wales
keywords: communicable disease; community pharmacy; e-learning; public health