Health Equity Data Standards Training Series

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health takes an equity-centered, data-driven approach to its mission of promoting health equity for all people in Massachusetts. This requires accurate, meaningful data about the Commonwealth’s population by social, demographic, and environmental characteristics. To that end, MDPH develops Health Equity Data Standards with population-specific best practices for data collection, analysis, interpretation, reporting, and communication. The goal is to understand the needs of all Massachusetts residents—including those with systematically and culturally oppressed identities and circumstances—to guide public health decisions. The success of this initiative depends on collaboration across MDPH and external partners—and that depends on the development and delivery of engaging, effective training for the Department’s entire workforce and other interested parties.

Using an inclusive, participatory process that involved over 100 MDPH staff and partners, ERG designed, developed, pilot tested, and implemented four interactive multimedia eLearning modules on MDPH’s health equity data standards: an introductory module that explains the relevance, importance, and applications of the health equity data standards, and three modules that explain the best practices embodied in each of the first three topic-specific standards. ERG also developed a case study webinar illustrating application of the health equity data standards throughout a project life cycle, as well as fact sheets on specialized topics.

ERG used several strategies to make the training series as relevant, engaging, and effective as possible. For example, we included animated sequences with characters that reflect the diversity of the workforce, examples that reflect a wide range of job roles and public health topics, video testimonials, and knowledge checks that engage learners in applying what they have learned. We infused both the development process and the training products with an equity frame, explicitly describing and modeling how the health equity data standards support the Department’s racial equity and data modernization initiatives. And we applied best practices for accessibility for all training products—including training modules with audio description in addition to captions. MDPH is deploying the eLearning modules on its internal and external training platforms.