Are We Prepared for Precision Public Health? An Examination of Genomics Content in Graduate Public Health Programs

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110557
Author(s):  
Karen L. Niemchick ◽  
Ally Goerge ◽  
Amy H. Ponte
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Genomics ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Precision Public Health ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Genomics Education

Objective With the completion of the Human Genome Project and swift development of genomic technologies, public health practitioners can use these advancements to more precisely target disease interventions to populations at risk. To integrate these innovations into better health outcomes, public health professionals need to have at least a basic understanding of genomics within various disciplines of public health. This descriptive study focused on the current level of genomics content in accredited master of public health (MPH) programs in the United States. Methods We conducted an internet search on all 171 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)–accredited MPH programs in the United States for genomics content in required and elective courses using the search terms “genetics,” “genomics,” and “molecular.” Results Of the 171 CEPH-accredited MPH programs examined, 52 (30.4%) schools and programs in 34 states offered some type of genomics education. Thirty-five (20.5%) schools and programs had a course in genetic epidemiology, 29 (16.9%) had a course in genetic biostatistics or bioinformatics, and 17 (9.9%) had a course in general public health genomics. The remaining 119 offered no course with a focus on genetics or genomics. In addition, some electives or specifically focused courses related to genomics were offered. Conclusion We found inadequate training in public health genomics for MPH students. To realize the promise of precision public health and to increase the understanding of genomics among the public health workforce, MPH programs need to find ways to integrate genomics education into their curricula.

scholarly journals Dual MD–MPH Degree Students in the United States: Moving the Medical Workforce Toward Population Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492097842
Author(s):  
Jo Marie Reilly ◽  
Christine M. Plepys ◽  
Michael R. Cousineau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
The Impact

Objective A growing need exists to train physicians in population health to meet the increasing need and demand for physicians with leadership, health data management/metrics, and epidemiology skills to better serve the health of the community. This study examines current trends in students pursuing a dual doctor of medicine (MD)–master of public health (MPH) degree (MD–MPH) in the United States. Methods We conducted an extensive literature review of existing MD–MPH databases to determine characteristics (eg, sex, race/ethnicity, MPH area of study) of this student cohort in 2019. We examined a trend in the MD community to pursue an MPH career, adding additional public health and health care policy training to the MD workforce. We conducted targeted telephone interviews with 20 admissions personnel and faculty at schools offering MD–MPH degrees in the United States with the highest number of matriculants and graduates. Interviews focused on curricula trends in medical schools that offer an MD–MPH degree. Results No literature describes the US MD–MPH cohort, and available MD–MPH databases are limited and incomplete. We found a 434% increase in the number of students pursuing an MD–MPH degree from 2010 to 2018. The rate of growth was greater than the increase in either the number of medical students (16%) or the number of MPH students (65%) alone. Moreover, MD–MPH students as a percentage of total MPH students more than tripled, from 1.1% in 2010 to 3.6% in 2018. Conclusions As more MD students pursue public health training, the impact of an MPH degree on medical school curricula, MD–MPH graduates, and MD–MPH career pursuits should be studied using accurate and comprehensive databases.

Health Equity Curricula Within Health Policy and Management Concentrations in U.S. Public Health Graduate Programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-282
Author(s):  
Gilbert Gonzales ◽  
Nicole Quinones ◽  
Marie Martin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
National Priority ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Specific Health

Achieving health equity is a national priority in the United States and having a public health workforce equipped to make health policy and administrative decisions that reduce disparities is needed. We examined 50 schools that offered an on-campus Master of Public Health and are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health with concentrations or tracks in health policy and management (HPM). Nationally, only 6 (12%) HPM tracks required students to take a course in health equity and/or disparities. Of the optional courses offered within HPM tracks, 30.5% were focused on specific health conditions, and 28% were focused on broadly defined inequities. A smaller portion of health equity courses covered topics in sexual and reproductive health (5.1%), women and gender (3.4%), immigration (1.7%), and LGBTQ populations (1.7%). If health equity is to be achieved in health policy and management, educating all students earning a Master of Public Health in HPM tracks on these issues and equipping them with competencies to effectively tackle health inequity is a starting place.

Results and Recommendations From a National Public Health Workforce Development Systems Assessment Conducted in the United States

2020 ◽  
pp. 237337992090764
Author(s):  
Christina R. Welter ◽  
Betty Bekemeier ◽  
Jennifer McKeever
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Health Workforce Development

Multiple public health workforce development assessments report individual worker knowledge and skill-based training needs. These assessments do not capture practitioners’ in-depth perceptions of complex public health challenges and whether workforce development approaches address these issues. To address this gap, the Public Health Learning Network—a national coalition of 10 Regional Public Health Training Centers located at United States accredited schools of public health, their partners, and the National Network of Public Health Institutes—conducted a public health workforce development assessment using a two-phased mixed-method design to explore systems-level gaps and opportunities for improving workforce development effectiveness. Phase 1 included a content analysis of major public health workforce development reports and peer-reviewed literature. Phase 2 included primary qualitative data collection of key informant interviews and focus groups via conference call with 43 participants representing 41 public health organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Results included a wide range of challenges with an emphasis on major systems changes, the shift in public health’s role to more effectively build community collective capacity, limited staff capacity and capability, and the need for more flexible and integrated training funding. Public health workforce development approaches recommended to address these challenges included improving pedagogical approaches toward more integrated, multimodal training delivered over time; increasing workforce capacity to address complex challenges such as racism and housing; and facilitating public health workforce development system coordination and alignment. Public Health Learning Network’s workforce assessment also identified opportunities for conceptualizing the definition and delivery of training toward ongoing learning.

scholarly journals Perspective: A National Public Health Workforce to Control COVID-19 and Address Health Disparities in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter H Kilmarx ◽  
Theodore Long ◽  
Michael J A Reid
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Long Run

Abstract A large, well-trained public health workforce is needed to control COVID-19 in the United States in the short term and to address other disease burdens and health disparities in the long run. As the public health workforce declined following the 2008 financial crisis, many U.S. jurisdiction struggled to hire a sufficient number staff for roles initially including testing and contact tracing and more recently for vaccination. Ultimately, COVID-19 control will require a combination of vaccination and rapid investigation, contact tracing, and quarantine to stop chains of transmission. New federal resources for a public health workforce have been made available. With appropriate attention to addressing administrative barriers and ensuring equity, a 21 st-century U.S. public health workforce will hasten the control of COVID-19, provide economic relief to individuals and communities, reduce the burden of other infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and other disease burdens. A long-term commitment to a robust public health workforce is vital to ensuring health security and preparedness for future health threats.

scholarly journals Profile of the Public Health Workforce: Registered TRAIN Learners in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (S2) ◽  
pp. e30-e36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery A. Jones ◽  
Lois Banks ◽  
Ilya Plotkin ◽  
Sunny Chanthavongsa ◽  
Nathan Walker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
The Public

scholarly journals Real-Time CDC Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, March–July 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7251
Author(s):  
Daniel Wozniczka ◽  
Hanna B. Demeke ◽  
Angela M. Thompson-Paul ◽  
Ugonna Ijeoma ◽  
Tonya Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Source Population ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
The Impact

Context: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) clinicians provided real-time telephone consultation to healthcare providers, public health practitioners, and health department personnel. Objective: To describe the demographic and public health characteristics of inquiries, trends, and correlation of inquiries with national COVID-19 case reports. We summarize the results of real-time CDC clinician consultation service provided during 11 March to 31 July 2020 to understand the impact and utility of this service by CDC for the COVID-19 pandemic emergency response and for future outbreak responses. Design: Clinicians documented inquiries received including information about the call source, population for which guidance was sought, and a detailed description of the inquiry and resolution. Descriptive analyses were conducted, with a focus on characteristics of callers as well as public health and clinical content of inquiries. Setting: Real-time telephone consultations with CDC Clinicians in Atlanta, GA. Participants: Health care providers and public health professionals who called CDC with COVID-19 related inquiries from throughout the United States. Main Outcome Measures: Characteristics of inquiries including topic of inquiry, inquiry population, resolution, and demographic information. Results: A total of 3154 COVID-19 related telephone inquiries were answered in real-time. More than half (62.0%) of inquiries came from frontline healthcare providers and clinical sites, followed by 14.1% from state and local health departments. The majority of inquiries focused on issues involving healthcare workers (27.7%) and interpretation or application of CDC’s COVID-19 guidance (44%). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial number of inquiries to CDC, with the large majority originating from the frontline clinical and public health workforce. Analysis of inquiries suggests that the ongoing focus on refining COVID-19 guidance documents is warranted, which facilitates bidirectional feedback between the public, medical professionals, and public health authorities.

scholarly journals Public Health Informatics Workforce Skills and Needs: A Descriptive Analysis using the 2017 PH WINS

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
B E Dixon ◽  
T D McFarlane ◽  
S J Grannis ◽  
P J Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Department ◽  
The United States ◽  
Skill Level ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract In 2017, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials fielded the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative sample of state-level (SHA) and local health department (LHD) public health workers in the United States. The survey was an opportunity to measure the PHI workforce as well as assess the informatics needs of the broader PH workforce. We performed a cross-sectional study using the nationally representative 2017 PH WINS. A total of 17,136 SHA and 26,533 LHD employees participated in the survey. Respondents were asked to rate selected PH competencies with respect to the importance to their day-to-day work (i.e., not important to very important) and their current skill level (e.g., unable to perform, beginner, proficient, expert). We examined skill gaps, defined as discordance between self-reported importance (i.e., need) and skill level, for example, those reporting the competency as “somewhat important” or “very important” and “unable to perform” or “beginner.” Informaticians accounted for 1.1% of SHA respondents and 0.5% of LHD respondents working in a Big City Health Coalition agency, those that serve the top 30 most populous urban areas in the United States. While informaticians generally reported having the skills they needed for their jobs, other PH roles identified gaps. For example, 22.9% of clinical and laboratory workers felt the ability to “identify appropriate sources of data and information to assess the health of a community” was an important skill but they currently possessed low competency. This group similarly identified a gap with respect to collecting ‘valid data for use in decision making.' An informatics-savvy health department requires PHI competencies not just among PHI specialists but also among front line workers, program area managers, and executive leadership. Discordance suggests that agencies should examine ways to enhance training for PHI-related competencies for all PH workers. Key messages The informatics specialists’ role is rare in public health agencies. Significant data and informatics skills gaps persist among the broader public health workforce.

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