2. Introduction to public health Flashcards
what things do you think of when you hear public health?
- screening programs
- vaccinations
- public information and awareness campaigns
- sanitation
- hygiene information
define public health
the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society.
- a collective endeavour
how is public health different from clinical medicine?
- public health tends to focus on entire populations not single patients
- public health includes facilitation and promotion of healthy behaviours and environments
- unlike medical care that we receive through when we need it, public health is required all of the time
what is part of the clinical health ice berg?
- known to medical sciences
- aware of illness but not sought advice
- diseased but not yet aware of illness
- well
what are the 3 domains of public health?
- health protection
- health improvement
- population health care
what comes under health protection?
infectious diseases
environmental hazards
Emergency response
what comes under health improvement?
health inequalities
wider determinants of health
behaviour changes
what comes under population health care?
healthcare quality
health policy
commissioning and priority setting
NHS
what is health intelligence epidemiology?
the collection of data that informs the practice and application of the 3 domains of public health
Example: health protection and climate change
emergency response to extreme weather
outbreak control
infectious disease surveillance
Example: health improvement and climate change
behaviour changes like diet and travel
urban design
active travel
Example: population healthcare and climate change
routine data
health in all policies initiative
sustainable healthcare
what are determinants of health?
factors that influence health
upstream determinants refer to factors that influence health before the disease process begins.
what impact do wider determinants of health have?
they often have greater influence on health than access to of use of health care services
what are some determinants of health?
- mental health
- diet
- genetics
- education
- family dynamics
- commercial companies
- sleep
- housing
- Social wellbeing
- age
- access to healthcare
- Pollution