THURS-087 - A Gamified Approach to Training Public Health Employees
Thursday, April 17, 2025
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area III: Implementation Subcompetencies: 3.2.1 Create an environment conducive to learning., 3.1.5 Train staff and volunteers to ensure fidelity. Research or Practice: Practice
Assistant Professor California Polytechnic State University - SLO San Luis Obsipo, California, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Upon completion of this session, attendees will be able to identify the effectiveness of incorporating gamified learning elements into public health training.
Upon completion of this session, attendees will be able to describe two public health topics that could use a gamified approach.
Upon completion of this session, attendees will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification as an educational strategy for public health workers without formal public health education.
Brief Abstract Summary: Addressing public health training among local health jurisdiction (LHJ) employees remains a critical challenge, particularly given workforce education gaps. Recent data from the de Beaumont Foundation (2021) reveals that 86% of the public health workforce lacks formal public health education, creating barriers to implementing Healthy People 2030's health equity objectives (NACCHO, 2024). This presentation explores an innovative gamified approach—applying game design elements in non-game contexts (Sailer & Homner, 2019)—designed to educate public health employees about public health topics. A case of one rural California LHJ is used. This session provides practical insights for public health educators and administrators seeking to implement similar gamified training programs in their jurisdictions.
Detailed abstract description: Local health jurisdictions (LHJ) serve as the foundation for public health service delivery and education. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO, 2024) emphasizes through Healthy People 2030 that LHJs must address social determinants of health (SDOH) through health equity approaches, specifically by fostering multisector partnerships and strengthening workforce infrastructure. However, the de Beaumont Foundation's (2021) workforce assessment reveals a critical challenge: 86% of public health workers lack formal public health education, creating a substantial knowledge deficit in understanding and addressing SDOH effectively. This presentation introduces an innovative solution to bridge the public health workforce knowledge gap through gamification, defined by Sailer and Homner (2019) as "the use of game design elements in non-game contexts." The presentation examines a case implementation within one of California's rural LHJs, demonstrating how gamified training methods can effectively teach SDOH concepts to public health personnel without formal public health backgrounds
