scholarly journals Public Health, Population Health, and Epidemiology Informatics: Recent Research and Trends in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Massoudi ◽  
K. G. Chester
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Research Activities

Summary Objectives: To survey advances in public and population health and epidemiology informatics over the past 18 months. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public and population health informatics and published in MEDLINE or Web of Science between January 2015 and June 2016 where information technology or informatics was a primary subject or main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were presented using a thematic analysis based on the 2011 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Public Health Informatics Agenda tracks as a typology. Results: Results are given within the context developed by Dixon et al., (2015) and key themes from the 2011 AMIA Public Health Informatics Agenda. Advances are presented within a socio-technical infrastructure undergirded by a trained, competent public health workforce, systems development to meet the business needs of the practice field, and research that evaluates whether those needs are adequately met. The ability to support and grow the infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: The fields of public health and population health informatics continue to grow, with the most notable developments focused on surveillance, workforce development, and linking to or providing clinical services, which encompassed population health informatics advances. Very few advances addressed the need to improve communication, coordination, and consistency with the field of informatics itself, as identified in the AMIA agenda. This will likely result in the persistence of the silos of public health information systems that currently exist. Future research activities need to aim toward a holistic approach of informatics across the enterprise.

scholarly journals Public Health, Population Health, and Epidemiology Informatics: Recent Research and Trends in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 241-247
Author(s):  
B. L. Massoudi ◽  
K. G. Chester
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Research Activities

Summary Objectives: To survey advances in public and population health and epidemiology informatics over the past 18 months. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public and population health informatics and published in MEDLINE or Web of Science between January 2015 and June 2016 where information technology or informatics was a primary subject or main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were presented using a thematic analysis based on the 2011 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Public Health Informatics Agenda tracks as a typology. Results: Results are given within the context developed by Dixon et al., (2015) and key themes from the 2011 AMIA Public Health Informatics Agenda. Advances are presented within a socio-technical infrastructure undergirded by a trained, competent public health workforce, systems development to meet the business needs of the practice field, and research that evaluates whether those needs are adequately met. The ability to support and grow the infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: The fields of public health and population health informatics continue to grow, with the most notable developments focused on surveillance, workforce development, and linking to or providing clinical services, which encompassed population health informatics advances. Very few advances addressed the need to improve communication, coordination, and consistency with the field of informatics itself, as identified in the AMIA agenda. This will likely result in the persistence of the silos of public health information systems that currently exist. Future research activities need to aim toward a holistic approach of informatics across the enterprise.

scholarly journals Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics: Recent Research and Trends in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (01) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. Dixon ◽  
H. Kharrazi ◽  
H. P. Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
English Language ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Essential Services

Summary Objectives: To survey advances in public health and epidemiology informatics over the past three years. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public health informatics (PHI), and published in MEDLINE between January 2012 and December 2014, where information and communication technology (ICT) was a primary subject, or a main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were synthesized using a thematic analysis using the Essential Services of Public Health as a typology. Results: Based on themes that emerged, we organized the advances into a model where applications that support the Essential Services are, in turn, supported by a socio-technical infrastructure that relies on government policies and ethical principles. That infrastructure, in turn, depends upon education and training of the public health workforce, development that creates novel or adapts existing infrastructure, and research that evaluates the success of the infrastructure. Finally, the persistence and growth of infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: Public health informatics is a field that is growing in breadth, depth, and complexity. Several Essential Services have benefited from informatics, notably, “Monitor Health,” “Diagnose & Investigate,” and “Evaluate.” Yet many Essential Services still have not yet benefited from advances such as maturing electronic health record systems, interoperability amongst health information systems, analytics for population health management, use of social media among consumers, and educational certification in clinical informatics. There is much work to be done to further advance the science of PHI as well as its impact on public health practice.

scholarly journals A Public Health Informatics Solution to Improving Food Safety in Restaurants: Putting the Missing Piece in the Puzzle

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sripriya Rajamani ◽  
Melanie Firestone ◽  
Craig Hedberg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Illness Prevention ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Inspection Data ◽  
And Control

Foodborne illnesses remain an important public health challenge in the United States causing an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths per year. Restaurants are frequent settings for foodborne illness transmission. Public health surveillance – the continual, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of reports of health data to prevent and control illness – is a prerequisite for an effective food control system. While restaurant inspection data are routinely collected, these data are not regularly aggregated like traditional surveillance data. However, there is evidence that these data are a valuable tool for understanding foodborne illness outbreaks and threats to food safety. This article discusses the challenges and opportunities for incorporating routine restaurant inspection data as a surveillance tool for monitoring and improving foodborne illness prevention activities.  The three main challenges are: 1) the need for a national framework; 2) lack of data standards and interoperability; and 3) limited access to restaurant inspection data. Tapping into the power of public health informatics represents an opportunity to address these challenges. Overall, improving restaurant inspection information systems and making restaurant inspection data available to support decision-making represents an opportunity to practice smarter food safety.

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 Current Approaches and Trends in Graduate Public Health Informatics Education in the United States: Four Case Studies from the Field

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane G. Schwartz ◽  
Scott McGrath ◽  
Karen Monsen ◽  
Brian Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Essential Components

Background: Public Health Informatics (PHI) has taken on new importance in recent years as health and well-being face a number of challenges, including environmental disasters, emerging infectious diseases, such as Zika, Ebola and SARS-CoV-2, the growing impact of the Influenza virus, the opioid epidemic, and social determinants of health. Understanding the relationship between climate change and the health of populations adds further complexity to global health issues. Objectives: To describe four examples of curricula that exist in U.S. based graduate-level public and population health informatics training programs. Methods: Biomedical informatics educators are challenged to provide learners with relevant, interesting, and meaningful educational experiences in working with and learning from the many data sources that comprise the domain of PHI. Programs at four institutions were reviewed to examine common teaching practices that stimulate learners to explore the field of public health informatics. Results: Four case studies represent a range of pedagogical approaches to meeting the requirements of three established accreditation/certification agencies relevant to PHI education. Despite their differences, each program achieved the established learning objectives along with a substantive record of student learning achievements. Conclusion: The overarching goal of empowering learners to serve an active and dynamic role in enhancing preventive measures, informing policy, improving personal health behaviors, and clarifying issues such as quality, cost of care, and the social determinants of health, are essential components of PHI education and training, and must receive additional consideration now and in the future by educators, policy makers, administrators, and government officials.

scholarly journals Developing a Public Health Maternal and Child Health Training Program: Lessons Learned from Five Schools of Public Health

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine T. Bozlak ◽  
Qiana L. Brown ◽  
Renee Davis ◽  
Rachel de Long ◽  
Melissa M. Howard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Schools Of Public Health ◽  
And Child Health

AbstractMaternal and child health (MCH), as a core sub-field of public health, continues to be an essential area in which additional workforce development and investment are needed. Recent public health workforce assessments in the United States reveal there will be a significant number of vacancies in MCH public health positions in the near future, creating the need for a well-trained and skilled public health MCH workforce. In order to address this potential critical workforce gap, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau initiated the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Catalyst Program in 2015 to support the creation of MCH training programs in accredited schools of public health that previously did not have a MCH concentration. This article details the accomplishments and lessons learned from the first five MCH Catalyst Program grantees: Drexel University; Florida International University; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Texas A&M University; and the University at Albany.

scholarly journals Applied Public Health Informatics: An eHealth Discipline Focused on Populations

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Edward Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Public Health Information

The discipline of public health informatics, part of the broader eHealth field, brings methods, knowledge, and theories from computer science and information science to support population health and well-being. This branch of informatics is most often found in governmental public health agencies that focus on population-level activities, including surveillance of disease as well as disease prevention. There are several specialised public health information systems used to prevent or mitigate disease, including syndromic surveillance, electronic laboratory reporting, and population health dashboards. This article defines and describes public health informatics and its role in eHealth. The article further discusses the role of public health information systems and challenges they face for the future. Strengthening public health will require greater investment in interoperability as well as analytics and the workforce. Disease outbreaks like COVID-19, Ebola, and H1N1 demonstrate the need for robust public health informatics applications and methods. Yet there is much work to be done to evolve existing tools and methods to strengthen the public health infrastructure for the next pandemic.

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.

scholarly journals Face Covered and Six Feet Apart: Behavioral Awareness Predicts Greater Adherence to Public Health Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8247
Author(s):  
Alyssa Schneider ◽  
Emily B. Kroska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Demographic Correlates ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Predictors Of Adherence ◽  
Close Contacts

The COVID-19 pandemic has deleteriously impacted physical and mental health. Guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 include wearing a face covering in public, limiting close contacts, and physical distancing. In combatting this and future pandemics, it is essential to understand predictors of adherence, such as psychological flexibility. We hypothesized higher psychological flexibility would relate to greater adherence to public health guidelines. Participants (n = 265) were English-reading/speaking adults in the United States and were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Included in the present analyses are data from June (n = 360) and July 2020 (n = 265). Measures included the Comprehensive Assessment of ACT Processes (CompACT), which measured psychological flexibility. Outcome measures included mask-wearing and number of close contacts, which were operationalized categorically (100% mask-wearing in public, ≤10 close contacts in past week). Two logistic regression models examined psychological flexibility and distress as predictors of adherence to mask-wearing and limiting close contacts, while controlling for demographic correlates. Results indicated that greater behavioral awareness predicted greater odds of mask-wearing and limiting close contacts. Psychological flexibility, and behavioral awareness specifically, should be investigated in future research as targets for intervention amidst global disasters.

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