Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Public Health - Part 1
Lecture:History of Public Health in the U.S.
Slide content:What is Public Health? Private Health Clinicians, health practitioners Treat individual health problems Action usually taken after illness/injury occurs Public Health Agencies Treat/maintain health of populations Actions include education, policy, research, monitoring 4
Slide notes:This lecture will discuss the history of Public Health. It is important to remember the differences between private and public health. Some of the most important differences are these: Private health generally consists of clinicians and other health care providers. While m any health care providers work in public health, t he distinction is that public health is an agency-based field rather than a clinic-based field. Private health focuses on the health of the individual, whereas public health focuses on the health of the population. The population in question may be defined variously, such as a county, a state, or even the world. Private health generally takes action after an illness or injury has occurred. Public health is perhaps more focused upon prevention, education, and monitoring. 4