Citation

Malcolm TR, Plotkin I, Quintanilla N, Schuitema K, Schuler K, Kirsch TD. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2022.220

PMID

36059102

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated a growing trend toward online and asynchronous education and professional training, including in the disaster medicine and public health sector. This study analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of the TRAIN Learning Network (TRAIN) for the year 2020 and evaluated pandemic-related changes in utilization patterns by disaster and public health professionals.

METHODS: The TRAIN database was queried to determine the change in the number of registered users, total courses completed and courses completed related to COVID-19 during 2020.

RESULTS: In 2020, 755,222 new users joined the platform - nearly three times the average added annually over the preceding five years (2015-2019). TRAIN users completed 3,259,074 training courses in 2020, more than double the average number of training courses that were completed annually from 2015-2019. In addition, 17.8% of all newly added disaster and public health training courses in 2020 were specifically related to COVID-19.

CONCLUSION: Online education provided by TRAIN is a critical tool for just-in-time disaster health training following a disaster event or public health emergency, including in a global health crisis such as a pandemic.

Language: en

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic; disaster medicine; just-in-time training; online learning