Welcome to HealthKnowledgeInteractive. On this site you will be able to study several public health modules at a choice of two levels, which we have called ‘Practitioner’ and ‘Specialist’. Each module is designed for ‘stand alone’ learning, but also works well together as a course.
The content of the Specialist modules is based upon the requirements of the Faculty of Public Health for its Part A or Diploma examination. The Part A curriculum can be found at www.fph.org.uk. HealthKnowledge itself covers the whole Part A curriculum and the interactive modules you find here are the first to be transformed for personal e-learning. It is anticipated that further public health modules from HealthKnowledge will be made available as interactive e-learning courses in the near future, so do revisit the site from time to time to see new modules as they become available.
The practitioner level modules, whilst far from simple, are more basic and suitable as introductory learning in public health, though this will be easier if you have some background knowledge about health and wellbeing. So, if you prefer, you can consider ‘Practitioner’ level to be basic level and ‘Specialist’ to be advanced level. Whether or not you have ever studied these topics before, you might like to start with the basic modules and progress to the advanced. For people who have had previous specialist training in public health, working through the two levels will provide a valuable and structured approach to continuing professional development and may help you to identify areas for further study for inclusion in your Personal Development Plan.
The different levels in these courses are based on the UK’s national Public Health Skills and Career Framework [PHSCF, Skills for Health, 2008: http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/page/career-frameworks/public-health-skills-and-career-framework ) and equate approximately to levels 5/6 and 7/8 on the PHSCF, which are, in turn, more or less equivalent to NHS Agenda for Change banding levels 5 and 7 [http://www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/pay-conditions-782.cfm].
On completion of any module you will be given the option to print out a certificate which will include the mark you achieved in your assessment for that module. If you scored poorly, you may wish to revisit the module and repeat the assessment, printing your certificate when you are satisfied with your performance. There is no formal pass mark, but less than 50% on your certificate is unlikely to impress the observer.