Category: Medical Education, Ethics, and Law Copyright © 2018, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 5820 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-2255-3.ch506 Integrating Web-Based Technologies into the Education and Training of Health Professionals INTRODUCTION With rising health care costs and the need to treat more and more people with chronic health condi- tions, many people wonder how healthcare can be advanced in America. Along with healthcare reform, education and training will play a sig- nificant role in meeting increased demands for health professionals. In this chapter, exploration of how online learning and instruction can be used to meet the educational needs for the healthcare industry is detailed. Distance education, e-learning, computer mediated, web-based, and online instruction are terms used to describe education delivered through computer-based technologies. Whatever term is chosen, such computer-based technolo- gies are essential components of the preparation and continuing education of health professionals. For many health professions, formal education, as well as continuing education, includes some type of web-based learning, with some programs completely online. The American Journal of Health Promotion (2009) defined health promotion as: Health Promotion is the art and science of help- ing people discover the synergies between their core passions and optimal health, enhancing their motivation to strive for optimal health, and sup- porting them in changing their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health. Optimal health is a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health. Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of learn- ing experiences that enhance awareness, increase motivation, and build skills and, most important, through the creation of opportunities that open access to environments that make positive health practices the easiest choice. In this chapter, health promotion refers to all education and programming relating to health that is intended to promote positive health out- comes. Many health promotion interventions and programs are conducted online. In fact, the term e-health has been created to describe web-based health promotion initiatives. Health care profes- sionals and health educators are using online instruction to teach patients. Higher education courses that promote lifelong wellness, including physical activity-based courses, are also using online learning formats. The objectives of this chapter are: 1) to un- derstand the benefits, quality indicators and use of online learning and instruction in health; 2) to discuss whether online learning and instruction is appropriate for training health professionals and for the delivery of health promotion; 3) to review an example of how blended and online instruc- tion can be used for health promotion in higher education; 4) to discuss future trends for online learning and instruction in health. Michelle Lee D’Abundo Seton Hall University USA Cara Sidman Arizona State University, USA