Modern Public Health:
Tools and Functions
Objectives
• Describe the difference between medical
care and public health.
• Define epidemiology and give an
example.
• List the core functions of public health.
• Classify examples according to the 10
essential services.
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How is Public Health
Different From Medicine?
• Public health is
populationbased
• Medicine is
based on the
individual
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Goals
Medicine
Public Health
Individual Health
Population Health
• Best outcome for
individual
• Healthy community
• Balance of individual
autonomy vs. limitations
on individual
• Balance in allocation of
resources
• Focus on prevention
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Spending in 2001
• Total national health
expenditures:
• $1,424.5 billion
• Public health activities:
• $46.4 billion
• Distribution of national health dollars:
• 86.8% to personal health services/supplies
• 3.3% to government PH activities
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Diagnostic Tools
Medicine
Public Health
Individual Health
Population Health
• Thermometer
• Demographics
• Stethoscope
• Vital statistics
• Individual data,
medical history
• Epidemiology
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What is Epidemiology?
• The study of the distribution and
determinants of disease in
populations, to seek the causes of
both health and disease.
• Epidemiologist—a medical
detective who links observed
problems with potential causes, to
arrive at a diagnosis and design
and implement a mitigating
response.
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The Epidemiology Triangle
Host
Agent
Environment
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Examples
Host
Agent
Environment
Human
Human
Bacteria, Virus
Energy
Water, Food, Air
Automobile
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Public Health Tools
• Engineering
Host
• Enforcement
• Education
Agent
Environment
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Public Health &
Life Expectancy
In the next 5 minutes:
Host
Brainstorm a current or
historic problem
• Identify Agent, Host,
Environment
Map interventions that
address the problem
Agent
Environment
• Education, Enforcement,
Engineering
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Core Functions and
Essential Services
of Public Health
A Public Health System Is Complex
Churches
Police
EMS
MCOs
Health
Department
Hospitals
Doctors
Schools
Philanthropist
CHCs
Community
Centers
Home Health
Parks
Jails
Elected
Officials
Mass Transit
Environmental
Health
Civic Groups
Tribal Health
Laboratory
Facilities
Drug
Treatment
Mental
Health
Employers
Fire
Economic
Development
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Six Obligations
1. Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease.
2. Protect against environmental hazards.
3. Prevent injuries.
4. Promote and encourage healthy behaviors.
5. Respond to disasters and assist communities in
recovery.
6. Assure the quality and accessibility of health
services.
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Three Functions
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Ten Essential Services
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As we cycle through
the following slides:
Break into groups.
Select a
leader/reporter.
List examples of the
essential service.
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Monitor Health Status to
Identify and Solve
Community Health Problems
• Diagnose community’s health status.
• Identify threats to health & assess needs.
• Collect, analyze, and publish information on
access, utilization, costs, and outcomes of
personal health services.
• Collect and analyze vital statistics and health
status of higher risk groups.
• Integrate information systems with private
providers and health benefit plans.
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Diagnose and Investigate
Health Problems and Health
Hazards in the Community
• Epidemiologically identify emerging health threats.
• Use modern laboratory technology to conduct
rapid screening and high volume testing.
• Use active surveillance programs to
epidemiologically address infectious diseases.
• Maintain technical capacities to undertake
epidemiologic investigations of disease outbreaks
and to examine patterns of chronic disease and
injury.
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Inform, Educate and Empower
People About Health Issues
• Market community health issues; communicate to
targeted media.
• Provide access to health information resources at
community levels.
• Collaborate with personal health care providers to
reinforce health promotion messages and
programs.
• Participate in joint health education programs;
collaborate with schools, churches, and worksites.
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Mobilize Community
Partnerships to Identify and
Solve Health Problems
• Undertake inclusive prevention, screening,
rehabilitation, and support programs by convening
and facilitating community groups and
associations; include groups not typically
considered health-related.
• Build community health coalitions, drawing upon
the full range of potential human resources and
material resources.
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Develop Policies and Plans
That Support Individual and
Community Health Efforts
• Develop leadership at all levels of public health.
• Plan community-level and state-level health
improvement in all jurisdictions.
• Develop and track health objectives to measure
quality improvement.
• Collaborate with medical communities to create
policies on prevention and treatment services.
• Develop codes, regulations, and legislation to
guide the practice of public health.
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Enforce Laws and
Regulations That Protect
Health and Ensure Safety
• Enforce sanitary codes, especially in the food
industry. Enforce clean air standards.
• Protect drinking water supplies.
• Follow up on hazards, preventable injuries, and
exposure-related diseases identified in
occupational and community settings.
• Monitor quality of medical services (e.g.,
laboratory, nursing homes, and home health care).
• Review new drug, biologic, and medical device
applications.
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Link People to Needed
Personal Health Services
and Assure Health Care
When Otherwise Unavailable
• Assure clinical care for disadvantaged people.
• Link populations with services by ensuring
culturally/linguistically appropriate materials/staff.
• Provide ongoing "care management“ and
transportation services.
• Target information to high risk population groups.
• Provide technical assistance for worksite health
promotion/disease prevention programs.
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Assure a Competent Public
Health and Personal Health
Care Workforce
• Provide education and training for personnel.
• License professionals and certify facilities; regular
verification and inspection follow-ups.
• Continue quality improvement and life-long
learning within all licensure/certification programs.
• Partner with professional training programs to
assure community-relevant learning experiences.
• Assure continuing education in management and
leadership for administrators and executives.
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Evaluate Effectiveness,
Accessibility, and Quality of
Personal and PopulationBased Health Services
• Evaluate health programs based on analysis of
health status and service utilization data—assess
program effectiveness and provide information
necessary for allocating resources and reshaping
programs.
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Research for New Insights
and Innovative Solutions to
Health Problems
• Link with appropriate institutions of higher learning
and research.
• Maintain internal capacity to mount timely
epidemiologic and economic analyses.
• Conduct needed health services research.
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Which services
does your job
cover?
In the next 3-5 minutes:
Think about your job and
list the essential services
covered in your current
position.
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