Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services Health Data Training
To assist local public health agencies (LPHAs) and community partners with their health status monitoring and data analysis needs, the DHSS Bureau of Health Care Analysis and Data Dissemination (BHCADD) has developed three health data training courses. These courses are designed for administrators, program managers, health educators, program planners, or other staff who need to understand and present data to inform policy or decision making related to priority health issues. Although initially designed for LPHAs, these courses may also be useful to community partners, including universities and colleges, elementary and secondary schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and any others who utilize health data. Agencies are encouraged to consider sending more than one staff person to the courses for cross training and shared learning purposes.
Course 1: Introduction to Profiles and MICA
This course includes a review of the basic statistics used in the Community Data Profiles and MICA (Missouri Information for Community Assessment), as well as hands-on demonstrations of the trend line, graphing, download, and other features. Multiple exercises allow participants to practice the skills covered. (This course was first offered in 2009 as Community Health Assessment and Intervention Planning.)
Agenda
Course 2: Health Data Analysis
The Health Data Analysis course demonstrates Priorities MICA and explains the process of using Profiles and MICA data to generate other statistics, such as percentage change and years of potential life lost. It also provides communication strategies and examples of how to clearly communicate health data through a variety of presentation formats, such as tables, charts, maps, and narrative. These strategies can be applied to grant proposals, health assessments, newsletters, health education materials, presentations, and other publications. During class, instructors will guide participants through creation of a sample community health assessment document. (This course was developed based on feedback received from participants in the 2009 introductory course.)
Agenda
NOTE: Course 1 is NOT a requirement for enrollment in Course 2, but some prior experience with Profiles/MICA is strongly recommended. The features of the Profiles/MICA tools will be covered in Course 1, while Course 2 will focus primarily on using the tools to analyze and present data.
Course 3: Health Data Workshop
The workshop begins with a demonstration of how to use spreadsheet and word processing software to more effectively create reports using Profiles/MICA data, followed by a refresher of the Introduction to Profiles and MICA and Health Data Analysis courses. During the afternoon, attending agencies will have an opportunity to gather feedback from instructors and other agencies on their own county-specific documents. Each attending agency will be required to submit a five- to ten-page document (either a completed report or a draft) for discussion. Participants and instructors will apply topics from all three training courses to address the strengths and weaknesses of each report. (This workshop was developed based on feedback received from participants in the 2010 Health Data Analysis course.)
NOTE: If multiple staff from the same organization would like to attend the workshop, please make arrangements for all staff to submit only one document for review.
PREREQUISITE: Health Data Analysis
Each of these courses will count for six contact hours toward re-accreditation through MICH or six DHSS Human Resources credit hours.
The BHCADD can also provide shorter trainings upon request, depending on staff availability, funding, and workload. Often these presentations are requested as segments of other trainings or meetings and can be tailored to the needs of the audience. Depending on the topic, we may be able to present material as a webinar.
Course Locations:
Sessions have been scheduled in several locations. The 2013 summer trainings are co-sponsored by the DHSS Office of Primary Care and Rural Health.
All registrations will be processed on a first come, first-served basis. Registration deadlines are listed with each session below. Course hours are generally 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM but may be altered due to restrictions at specific locations. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within 5-7 business days of the date your registration form is submitted. Approximately two weeks prior to the course date you will receive a second e-mail which will provide directions to the training site, information about parking, and any alterations to the course hours, as well as details regarding report submission for Workshop participants.
Only 20 seats are available in most sessions so you are advised to register as early as possible to secure your preferred location. Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list.
Location: |
Course 1: |
Course 2: |
Course 3: |
University of Missouri – Columbia |
May 29 |
May 30 |
N/A |
Missouri State University |
June 4 |
June 5 |
N/A |
Kansas City Health Department |
June 25 |
June 26 |
N/A |
Sessions of the Health Data Workshop may be added to the training schedule later in the summer. The schedule will be updated with additional information on the Workshops when it becomes available.
Sessions are contingent upon an adequate number of registrants. We reserve the right to cancel sessions due to lack of enrollment as of the registration deadline for each session. If a course is canceled, you will be notified approximately two weeks prior to the training date.
How to Register
Complete and submit the registration form located at https://webapp03.dhss.mo.gov/snapwebhost/surveylogin.asp?k=136630115988 prior to the registration deadline for each session. Please note:
- If you have taken a course in the past but wish to re-enroll, please do so. However, your initial confirmation will state that you may be placed on a waiting list if the session fills. You will receive final confirmation of your registration approximately two weeks prior to the selected session.
- Courses 1 and 2 are designed to stand alone. Therefore, participants may choose to enroll in Course 2 without enrolling in Course 1, or vice versa. However, please be aware that while completion of Course 1 is NOT a requirement for enrollment in Course 2, some prior experience with Profiles/MICA is strongly recommended. The features of the Profiles/MICA tools will be covered in Course 1, while Course 2 will focus primarily on using the tools to analyze and present data.
- Completion of Health Data Analysis is a prerequisite for attendance at the Workshop.
Travel Costs
Lodging costs are the responsibility of the attending organization. Reimbursement for mileage may be available for participants traveling a round-trip distance of 50 miles or more. For agency reimbursements, one round-trip mileage from the agency to the training site may be requested for each course attended. Multiple staff from the same agency are expected to carpool. For personal reimbursements, mileage may be paid from either the employee's work or home address, whichever is closer to the training site, per DHSS policy. Participants are expected to attend the closest training site if at all possible. Exceptions to these requirements may be granted upon advance written request explaining the need for multiple vehicles, mileage from a different address or closer distance, or attendance at a more distant training site.
All meal costs are the responsibility of the attending organization.
Special Accommodations
If you will require any special accommodations during the trainings, please describe them in the appropriate area of the registration form. We will do our best to accommodate any special needs you may have, but please make us aware of those needs PRIOR to the training day. These trainings are not held in DHSS facilities, and we may need to consult with the building manager in order to assist you (e.g., to reserve a lactation room).
Facility Information
Parking and facility information will be sent with your final confirmation, approximately two weeks prior to the training. We usually have no control over the room temperature, so we advise you to wear layers and bring a jacket or sweater.
Subscribe to the Health Data Training Mailing List
By subscribing to our mailing list, you will receive an e-mail whenever training sessions are scheduled in your area. You will also receive a quarterly newsletter which contains information on new features and data updates, interviews with public health professionals, answers to questions submitted by MICA users, and practice exercises. To subscribe, please send your name, position title, organization name, and e-mail address to the instructors listed below.
If you have any questions about the courses, please contact the instructors:
Andrew Hunter at 573-526-0444 or andrew.hunter@health.mo.gov
Becca Mickels at 573-751-6285 or becca.mickels@health.mo.gov