Since its inception, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), has provided leadership and training in the improvement of health information availability and application. Over the years new public health initiatives have driven the form of this assistance from the initial focus of vital statistics improvement to a current emphasis in health services research. Each new public health need adds new dimensions to the approach NCHS takes to provide assistance. Common to all of the evolving efforts is the provision of short course training for practicing public health professionals through the Applied Statistics Training Institute (ASTI). Begun simultaneously with the beginning of NCHS, ASTI is a collaboration between the Schools of Public Health, the State and local offices of public health, and NCHS. ASTI provides basic and advanced training on current statistical topics which are meant to inform and direct public health practice, primarily for use in State and local settings. To be most responsive to its constituency, ASTI courses are held at sites throughout the country and enables concentrations of local area practitioners to receive the same training without distant travel requirements and time away from their regular duties. The ASTI program is a perennial favorite for this constituency, and requests for instruction are increasing exponentially as more complex issues occur in public health. The ASTI program of the future will continue to grow to meet the measurement and analytical issues associated with the changing roles of public health. In the immediate future, new public health roles in assuring prevention services and care for vulnerable populations are topics for ASTI focus. Information about future ASTI courses will be released when available.
This page last reviewed January 11, 2007
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