Public Health Final Exam Review Flashcards
Public Health
Fulfilling society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy
Core Functions of Public Health
Assessment
Policy development
Assurance
Assessment
Evaluation of a group or population of individuals. Assessment also refers to evaluation of health status of a group of people or population toward determining health or lack thereof.
Assurance
Interventions or treatments that are applied by health professionals to address health concerns or problems that exist in the community or local environment.
Policy Development
Collectively deciding which remedies or interventions are most appropriate for the problems identified in a particular group, community or population
Public Health System
Capacity
Process
Outcomes
Health
Not merely the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
Illness
Not merely referring to the physical presence or diagnosis of a disease state. Illness may exist without a physical manifestation of disease.
Disease
Physical or mental disease state. Manifestation of some type of physiological injury or state
Precursor Prevention
refers to those factors and interventions that may prevent disease
Primary Prevention
Deals with prevention of disease or infirmity when people are at-risk of the disease.
Secondary Prevention
seeks to alleviate or lessen the symptoms of disease
already has disease state
Tertiary Prevention
“cured” of disease state & prevention of recurrence
Health Promotion
Activities or interventions targeting health behaviors that can improve or influence positive health outcomes
Public Health Practice
Source of primary and secondary prevention services. Activities carried out by multiple members of the health care and public health fields
Medical Practice
Any services or activities provided by and monitored by medical personnel, such as a physician or nurse.
Long-term Care
Care dealing with populations with special needs. Care can be provided in professional health facilities or implemented in the home setting.
Health Care Resources
- Providers: Physicians,nurses,dentists,etc.
- Technology: New developments in procedures and equipment
- Healthcare delivery systems: HMOs,PPOs, Ambulatory services, emergency centers
5 Common Characteristics of Public Health
• Combination of sciences & skills • PH believes in health maintenance and improvement • PH involves all people • Maintenance and improvement through collective or social actions • Serving the population as a whole
Properties of Assessment
- Health assessment
- Program evaluations
- Asset planning
- Community diagnosis
Properties of Assurance
- Departmental programs
- Health interventions
- Program evaluations
- Quality assurance
Properties of Policy Development
- Local laws
- Federal laws
- Health policies within organizations
Capacity (Inputs)
Refers to resources or relationships that are necessary to accomplish the core functions of public health
RESOURCES
Process (Practices & Outputs)
Collective practices that are necessary to assure that the core functions and essential services of public health are accomplished
POLICIES, LAWS (local, state, or federal)
Outcomes (Results)
Indicators of health status, risk reduction, and quality-of-life indicators
Social Justice
Fair distribution of benefits and burdens of
social interventions, policies, or program relative to public health
Morbidity Rates
Number of individuals who develop a disease in a given time period is the numerator, and the number of people in the population at risk for the disease is the denominator
Measures of Morbidity/Mortality Rates
Incidence rate
Prevalence rate
Incidence Rate
the direct estimate of a probability or risk of developing a disease during a specified period of time
NEW, ACUTE
Prevalence Rate
the number of cases present at a particular period of time
TOTAL
Risk Factor
An aspect of personal behavior, lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn, or inherited characteristic, that is based on epidemiologic evidence is known to be associated with health-related conditions
Risk Marker – “risk indicator”
An attribute that is associated with an increased probability of occurrence of a disease or other specified outcome and that can be used as an indicator of this increased risk
LPHAs
- served local & state municipalities
- existed in forms of local PH departments or other county-based agencies
- developed first self-assessment tool
Appraisal form
First type of measurement and assessment of existing health data
Emerson Report
Postwar plan for Public Health in U.S. after WWII
“Basic Six” Services from Emerson Report
- Vital statistics
- Environmental sanitation
- Communicable disease control
- Maternal & child health services
- Public health education
- Public health laboratory services
Health Services Pyramid
- the foundation relies on population-based services or interventions.
- Goal is to have less tertiary care interventions
- relies on the notion that public health target prevention strategies
Thimerosal
Preservativewhichcontainsa type of mercury called ethylmercury
Advantages of Immunization
• Protection is known as immunity.
• Vaccines are a safe method to insure
that immunity stays strong and vigilant
Side Effects of Immunization
- Fever
- Lump under the skin at place of injection
- Reactions are often temporary
DTaP
5 doses
1) 2 months
2) 4 months
3) 6 months
4) 15-18 months
5) 4-6 years
- 1 dose Tdap routinely at age 11 or 12
- pregnant women should get 1 dose of Tdap during every pregnancy
- Td booster every 10 years
IPV
4 doses
1) 2 months
2) 4 months
3) 6-18 months
4) 4-6 years
- never been vaccinated: 3 doses
1st & 2nd doses: 1-2 months apart
3rd dose: 6-12 months after 2nd
MMR
2 doses
1) 12-15 months
2) 4-6 years
- adults 18+ years or born AFTER 1956: should receive vaccine
Hep B
3 doses
1) birth
2) 1-2 months
3) 6-18 months
- if not vaccinated: 3 doses
1st & 2nd dose: given 4 weeks apart
3rd dose: 5 months after 2nd
PCV
4 doses
1) 2 months
2) 4 months
3) 6 months
4) 12-15 months
Varicella
2 doses
1) 12-15 months
2) 4-6 years
- 13 years or older: 2 doses @ least 28 days apart
Hib
4 doses
1) 2 months
2) 4 months
3) 6 months
4) 12-15 months
Hep A
2 doses
1) 12-23 months
2) given @ least 6 months apart
Disadvantages of Immunization
- Some vaccines shouldn’t be given to children who have certain types of cancer or diseases
- Allergic reactions to certain substances may exist.
- Claims that MMR vaccine is linked to increased likelihood of developing autism.
Myths & Truths of Thimerosal
- MMR, varicella, and IPV vaccines have never contained thimerosal.
- This preservative is theorized to autism, (ADHD), and speech or language delay.
- There is inadequate evidence for a causal link between autism and MMR vaccines. Does not suggest that a possible association may exist.
Chronic Disease
• long-lasting condition that can be controlled but not cured
• Prolonged nature of chronic diseases and illness from those chronic diseases result in:
– Extended pain and discomfort
– Decreased quality of life for millions of people
Infectious Disease
- communicable disease
- caused by the invasion of a host by agents whose activities harm the host’s tissues
Reportable Disease
Surveillance focuses on limited list of disease that spread easily through intimate or close contact
Notifiable Disease
National list of diseases that each state is required to report, but each state may have diseases of interest that they are tracking
Herd Immunity
Immunity derived from the presence of a large proportion of immune individuals in a community who decreases the chances of contact between infected and susceptible persons
Characteristics of Herd Immunity
- Immune population acts a barrier to infection
- Helps explain why epidemic does not occur in a community
- Helps explain periodic variation of some infectious disease
- Helpful in formulating national vaccination policies
H1N1: “Swine Flu”
• Contagious; spreading from human to human contact, coughing or sneezing by people with influenza
West Nile Virus
- Infected mosquitoes
- Transfusions, transplants, and mother-to-child
- Not through touching
Medicaid
- uninsured, low-income Americans
- When private insurance is not an option or too expensive
- Targets low-income, disabled, and chronically ill, when most carriers deny service to those fitting this description
Medicare
• elderly or disabled
Medicare: Part A
Hospital Insurance Program:
• Inpatient hospital
• Skilled nursing facility
• Hospice and home care
Medicare: Part B
Supplementary Medical Insurance • Physician & outpatient hospital care • Lab tests • Medical supplies • Home health
Medicare: Part C
Managed care plans:
• Medicare+Choice Plan - “Medicare Advantage”
Medicare: Part D
Drug Prescription Benefit
Public Health Surveillance
Effective preparedness and response rely on monitoring disease patterns, investigating individual case reports, and using epidemiological and laboratory analyses to target public health intervention and strategies
Epidemiology
Scientific analysis of disease etiology, patterns of infection, and disease prediction among the general population.
Public Health Measures to Prevent Infectious Disease
- SafeWater
- Sewage treatment and disposal
- Food safety programs
- Animal control programs
- Public health organizations
- Vaccination programs
SARS
• spread through close person-to- person contact
Infrastructure
Basic foundation for public health activities.
• Consists of recognizable resources
• Consists of linkages and pathways connecting the resources
• Used to carry out the core functions of public health
Clinical Prevention
Programs or interventions that target individuals. A program can target individuals, as well as target communities and the individuals in those communities
Public Health Intervention
Population-based services that target the needs of the people.
Community Prevention
programs or interventions are targeted toward the entire community. The targeted unit is the entire community and not the individual
Population-Based Prevention
Usually but not limited to public-sector services that target the entire population beyond the community-level
Cultural Competency
Capacity of individuals to exercise interpersonal cultural sensitivity (individual level)
Cultural Sensitivity
Degree to which cultural norms, beliefs, behavior patterns etc. are incorporated into interventions (intervention level)
Multicultural
Incorporatingand appreciating perspectives of multiple racial and ethnic groups
Culturally-based
Programsand messages that use culturally-derived values and beliefs
Disability
state of decreased functioning associated with disease, disorder, injury, or other health conditions, which in the context of one’s environment is experiences as an impairment, activity limitation, or participation restriction
Bioterrorism
intentional use of microorganisms
Types of Natural Disasters
- Earthquakes
- Volcanic eruptions
- Landslides
- Tsunamis
- Floods
- Droughts
- Some fires
Disaster Supply Kit: Home
- Food, water, supplies for at least 3 days
- Designate location so entire family to know
- Consider having supplies for sheltering for up to two weeks
Disaster Supply Kit: Work
- Place in one container
- Ready to “grab and go” in case of evacuation
- Food, water, supplies
- Walking shoes
Disaster Supply Kit: Car
- Food, water, supplies
* Flares, jumper cables, seasonal supplies (tire chains, umbrellas etc.)
Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
- Three-day supply of non-perishable food, water (1 gallon/person/day)
- Portable, battery-powered radio
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Sanitation and hygiene items
- Matches in waterproof container
- Whistle
- Extra clothes
- Cooking utensils
- Photocopies of credit, identification cards
- Cash and coins
- Special needs items ie. Medications
- Baby items: Diapers, formula, wipes, bottles, pacifiers
- Unique items for family needs
Mitigation
Measures employed before an incident occurs to minimize damage
Preparedness
Activities conducted before disaster to improve readiness. Preparedness deals with planning how to respond to disasters or emergencies.
Response
Actions dealing with consequences during the disaster
Recovery
Procedures that help restore business operations to normal
Bioterrorism Emergencies
Bioterrorism is the threatening or intentional release of biological agents for the purpose of influencing the conduct of government or intimidating or coercing a civilian population to further political or social objectives
Preparedness Planning
- Deals with availability and accessibility of medical and mental health services
- Community-wide planning for emergency medical and public health responses
- Action protocols
- Simulating emergency events
- Training public and private sector health professionals
- Assessing communication capabilities
- Maintaining relationships with other public health agencies
Homeland Security Advisory System
- Guarded condition (Blue)
- Elevated condition (Yellow)
- High condition (Orange)
- Severe condition (Red)
Incident Command Systems
- Used to manage resources effectively
* Used widely by police, fire service, and emergency management agencies
Components of Incident Command Systems
- Common terminology
- Modular organization-”Top down” approach
- Integrated communications
- A unified command structure
- Consolidated action plans
- A manageable span of control
- Designated incident facilities
- Comprehensive resource management
Emergency Operations Center
Manages strategic decisions through the incident command structure.
– participants must have adequate authority and decision-making capability
– decisions may include making curfews, bidding processes, or emergency appointments, etc.
– Supported operationally by incident command posts in the field.
