Evaluating Application of Knowledge and Skills: The Use of Consensus Expert Review to Assess Conference Abstracts of Field Epidemiology Training Participants.

BACKGROUND

Often evaluations of training programs are limited - with many focusing on the aspects that are easy to measure (e.g., reaction of trainees) without addressing the important outcomes of training, such as how trainees applied their new knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Numerous evaluations fail to measure training's effect on job performance because few effective methods are available to do so. Particularly difficult is the problem of evaluating multisite training programs that vary considerably in structure and implementation from one site to another.

PURPOSE

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SETTING

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INTERVENTION

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RESEARCH DESIGN

We devised a method of a consensus expert review to evaluate the quality of conference abstracts submitted by participants in Field Epidemiology Training Programs - an approach that can provide useful information on how well trainees apply knowledge and skills gained in training, complementing data obtained from other sources and methods. This method is practical, minimally intrusive, and resource-efficient, and it may prove useful for evaluation practice in diverse fields that require training.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

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FINDINGS

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