The Basic Science of Public Health

Resources: Course Media: Case Study: Influenza Outbreak: Middleton, U.S.A.
Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 4, Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health
€¢ Chapter 5, Epidemiologic Principles and Methods
€¢ Chapter 6, Problems and Limits of Epidemiology
Article: Brody, H., Russell Rip, M., Vinten-Johansen, P., Paneth, N., &Rachman, S. (2000). Map-making and myth-making in Broad Street: The London cholera epidemic, 1854. Lancet, 356(9223), 64-68.
Article: Fielding, J. E., &Briss, P. A. (2006). Promoting evidence-based public health policy. Can we have better evidence and more action? HealthAffairs, 25(4), 969-978.
Assigned Web sites are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 5 and in the Webliography.
Glossary: The Basic Science of Public Health
Optional Activities are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 5.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Evidence-Based Decision Making
Post a response to the following questions:
€¢ What tools are available to integrate the best available information with public health policy and practice? Are there tools not mentioned by Fielding and Briss?
€¢ What are the challenges for using scientific evidence to inform policy and decision making?
€¢ In what ways has public health succeeded in using the best available evidence, and in what ways have we struggled, by continuing to use programs that do not demonstrate effectiveness? Are there other cases not mentioned by Fielding and Briss that reflect this type of success or failure? Think globally as well as locally.
Application Assignment:
Part 2 Review of an MMWR Report
In preparation for this assignment, complete the following:
€¢ Go to the MMWR Web site (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/).
€¢ Click on Weekly Report (left-hand side of the home page).
€¢ Click on Current Volume.
€¢ Select one report that involves epidemiology efforts.
After reviewing this report, and in your own words using proper paraphrasing technique, complete the following:
€¢ Describe the data that was collected. Who collected the data, what sources were used, and what type of data was collected?
€¢ What did the results demonstrate?
€¢ What recommendations were made?
€¢ How might this data be used for policy development and/or program planning?
This assignment is due by Day 7 of Week 6. See the Week 5 Application Assignment for complete instructions.

Week 6 Data: Sources, Statistics, and Uncertainty
Resources: Course Media: Case Study: Influenza Outbreak: Middleton, U.S.A.
Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 7, Statistics: Making Sense of Uncertainty
€¢ Chapter 8, The Role of Data in Public Health
Article: Hassan, E. (2006). Recall bias can be a threat to retrospective and prospective research designs. Internet Journal of Epidemiology, 2(3), 4-4.
Article: Massey, D., &Tourangeau, R. (Eds.). (2013, January). The nonresponse challenge to surveys and statistics [Special Issue]. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 645.
Assigned Web sites are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 6 and in the Webliography.
Glossary: Data: Sources, Statistics, and Uncertainty
An Optional Activity is listed in the Learning Resources for Week 6.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Recall Bias
Post the following information:
€¢ Discuss examples of recall bias that can occur in epidemiological studies and how it can be minimized.
€¢ Provide the complete APA-formatted reference for the study you found. Analyze the methodology in the study for potential recall bias. Report on your findings and how the study results may have been impacted. Use scholarly tone for your discussion. Did the study mention recall bias in the limitations?

Application Assignment: Your Application Assignment from Week 5 should be submitted by Day 7 of this week.

Week 7 Public Health and Infectious Disease
Resources: Course Media: Case Study: Influenza Outbreak: Middleton, U.S.A.
Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 9, The Conquest’ of Infectious Diseases
€¢ Chapter 10, The Resurgence of Infectious Diseases
Assigned Web sites are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 7 and in the Webliography.
Glossary: Public Health and Infectious Disease
Optional Activities are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 7.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Infectious Disease and Public Health Focus
Post a response to the following questions:
€¢ Why is it important for public health to stay focused on infectious disease, when chronic disease has become more prevalent in many countries?
€¢ How does (or should) public health counteract complacency regarding infectious disease? Provide specific examples and substantiate them with proper support.

Application Assignment:
Part 2 Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal
Choose an infectious disease that is the focus of a recent article in the CDC’sEmerging Infectious Diseases journal at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/
In two to three pages, address the following:
€¢ Work through the chain of infection, explaining pathogen, reservoir, method of transmission, and host for this disease.
€¢ Provide a summary and discuss how public health measures are aimed at each of these steps. Do some research to determine the role of epidemiologic surveillance, quarantine, contact tracing, immunization, prophylaxis, and public health regulations that apply to this case.
This assignment should be submitted by Day 7 of this week. See the Week 7 Application Assignment for complete instructions.

Week 8 Public Health and Chronic Disease
Resources: Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 11, The Biomedical Basis of Chronic Disease
Assigned Web sites are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 8 and in the Webliography.
Glossary: Public Health and Chronic Disease
Optional Activities are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 8.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Analysis of a Preventing Chronic Disease Research Article
Post the following information:
€¢ Identify the research article you selected. (Reference the article in proper APA format).
€¢ What disease, condition, or health outcome is the focus of this article?
€¢ What study design was used?
€¢ Summarize the results in your own words.
€¢ What are the implications of this research for policy development and program planning?
€¢ Discuss primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention for this problem. Which appears to be the most effective?
Week 9 Genomics and Public Health
Resources: Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 12, Genetic Diseases and Other Inborn Errors
Article: Chokshi, D., Parker, M., & Kwiatkowski, D. (2006). Data sharing and intellectual property in a genomic epidemiology network: Policies for large-scale research collaboration. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 84(5), 382-387.
Article: Gallagher, K., Benson, W., Brody, M., Fairbrother, A., Hasan, J., Klaper, R., et al. (2006). Genomics: Applications, challenges, and opportunities for the U.S. environmental protection agency. Human & Ecological Risk Assessment, 12(3), 572-590.
Assigned Web sites are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 9 and in the Webliography.
Glossary: Genomics and Public Health
Optional Activities are listed in the Learning Resources for Week 9.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Genetics and Public Health
Post the following information:
€¢ Should significant resources be spent on genomics for public health purposes versus spending on modifying behaviors that are clearly related to adverse health outcomes? Why or why not?
€¢ What are some of the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of genetic information? What are the ways in which public health does or should handle these issues?
Week 10 Medical Care and Public Health
Resources: Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
€¢ Chapter 25, Is the Medical Care System a Public Health Issue?
€¢ Chapter 26, Why the U.S. Medical System Needs Reform
€¢ Chapter 27, Health Services Research: Finding What Works
Article: Klugman, C. (2006). Reframing Terri Schiavo: One family’s story of morality, ethics, & politics. Internet Journal of Law, Healthcare & Ethics, 4(1), 3-3.
Article: Seow, H., Phillips, C. O., Rich, M. W., Spertus, J. A., Krumholz, Harlan, M., & Lynn, J. (2006). Isolation of health services research from practice and policy: The example of chronic heart failure management.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54(3), 535-540.
Article: Koh, H. K., &Sebelius, K. G. (2010). Promoting prevention through the affordable care act. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(14), 1296-1299.
Article: Huntington, W. V., Center, P., Covington, L. A., Center, P. P., Covington, L. A., &Manchikanti, L. (2011). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Reforming the health care reform for the new decade. Pain Physician, 14, E35-E67.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Detailed Summaryhttp://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf
There is no Glossary for this week.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Does the U.S. Medical System Need Reform?
Post your response to the following question:

How has the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 impacted the U.S. medical system? In your response, include discussion on:
€¢ The responsibilities of public health for medical care
€¢ Ethical issues with resource allocation
€¢ The costs of medical care
Provide support for your responses as well as a rationale for proposed changes.
Post your initial response to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague’s posting by Day 6 of this week. See the Week 10 Discussion area for details.

Week 11 Final Project
Resources: There are no additional resources in Week 11.
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Discussion:
leave this part alone. Final Project
Note: Your Final Project must be posted to the Discussion area by Day 3 of this week. Remember, you need to attach your PowerPoint presentation. Be sure to include a title page slide with your name. Also, save your project on your local hard drive.

In preparation for this Discussion, review a selection of the Final Projects. Choose one about which to provide comprehensive comment. With this review in mind:

Post by Day 6 your comments to at least one of your colleagues’ Final Projects, selecting, if applicable, a project that has not yet received feedback. Ask questions, provide additional information, and challenge logic, assumptions, and clarity as appropriate.
It is expected that you will respond to comments and questions posed about your own Final Project in a timely manner.
Final Project: Your Final Project, to be posted to the Discussion area by Day 3 of this week, is to be submitted by Day 3 of this week.

Week 12 The Future of Public Health
Resources: Course Media: Case Study: Public Health in the 21st Century€“A Call for Commitment
Course Media: Case Study: Influenza Outbreak: Middleton, U.S.A.
Course Text: Introduction to Public Health
Chapter 30, Public Health in the Twenty-First Century: Achievements and Challenges
There is no Glossary for this week.
An Optional Activity is listed in the Learning Resources for Week 12.
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Discussion:
Part 1 Challenges of Public Health
Post the following information:
With a global perspective in mind, name at least two emerging challenges that appear to be looming on the horizon for public health in the 21st century. In your response, address the following for each of these challenges:
What is the significance of each in terms of number of people that may be affected? How?
What is known and not known about this challenge?
What controversies surround this challenge?
.

Week 11€This is a power point format. Let me know if you are able to do it and how many pages for 20 slides
Introduction
This week, through your Final Project presentation, you will demonstrate the breadth of knowledge you have gained throughout this course. By means of your thoughtful critique of colleagues’ work, subsequent responses, and application of knowledge, you will also have a dynamic opportunity to further contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the field of public health by applying what you have gained in this course.
Objectives
€¢ Students will:
€¢ Synthesize information from this course

€¢ Present a comprehensive overview of public health

€¢ Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and information related to public health.