The role of the public health official in communicating public health information

The prevailing views on the role of public health professionals refer to professionals in the academic world, without taking into account the fact that many public health professionals are government employees. For example, the American Public Health Association states that public health professionals play an active role in communicating public health information to nonscientific audiences, such as the general population or the mass media. We propose that public health officials have an important responsibility to promote the practice of public health. However, they must do so within the bureaucracy. Any actions that public health officials wish to take as advocates of particular public health activities should be carried out independent of their role as government officials.     

广水市人民医院全面提升公共卫生管理能力探讨

近年来,广水市人民医院在狠抓医疗业务发展的同时,不断调整工作思路,突出公共卫生工作重点,整合人力资源,强化公共卫生管理,建立了符合综合医院设置的公共卫生管理体系,为充分履行公共卫生管理职能奠定了良好的基础.     

The role of the public in the management of public health risks

OBJECTIVE: To critique current models of public involvement in the management of public health risks. METHODS: Two case studies are used to highlight the challenges of contemporary practice. RESULTS: Current models often result in affected communities having perceptions of risk that conflict with those responsible for risk management. This can lead to ineffective decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Involving the public throughout the risk assessment and risk management process may lessen conflict and result in better decisions. IMPLICATIONS: Those responsible for responding to public health risks should aim for transparent processes that highlight assumptions and uncertainties, and involve the public wherever possible.     

突发公共卫生事件中消防员的个人防护

为了合理使用个人防护装备，提高消防救援人员个人防护的能力，通过分析消防救援队伍在处置涉及公共卫生事件（主要是重大传染病疫情）任务中个人防护的现状，指出当前消防员在突发公共卫生事件处置中防护水平的不足之处，并从公共卫生知识储备、防护意识、个人防护装备选择与使用、针对性防护演练四个方面总结了提高消防救援人员个人防护水平的对策，同时构建了突发公共卫生事件双盲演练模式，以期提高消防救援队伍应对突发公共卫生事件的能力。     

The role of public health in mental health promotion

Mental illness contributes a substantial burden of disease worldwide. Globally, approximately 450 million persons suffer from mental disorders, and one fourth of the world's population will develop a mental or behavioral disorder at some point during their lives. Mental disorders account for approximately 25% of disability in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe and are a leading cause of premature death. In the United States, approximately 22% of the U.S. adult population has one or more diagnosable mental disorders in a given year. The estimated lifetime prevalences for mental disorders among the U.S. adult population are approximately 29% for anxiety disorders, 25% for impulse-control disorders, 21% for mood disorders, 15% for substance-use disorders, and 46% for any of these disorders. In addition, an estimated one in 10 children in the United States has a mental disorder that causes some level of impairment. The effects of mental illness are evident across the life span, among all ethnic, racial, and cultural groups, and among persons of every socioeconomic level. Moreover, mental illness costs the United States an estimated $150 billion annually, excluding the costs of research.     

Reassessing the role of epidemiology in public health.

This commentary examines the scope of epidemiology and delineates the role of epidemiology in relation to public health. Epidemiology is a science; public health is a mission that is implemented through societal action. The implications of this difference are considered, and the sufficiency of epidemiology for guiding public health is evaluated in relation to other scientific disciplines and nonscientific considerations. The authors conclude that epidemiology is not the basic science of public health but one of many contributors to guiding action. The need for public health decisions despite scientific uncertainty and the potential for epidemiologic certainty's failing to provide clear guidance to public health action emphasize the distinctiveness of these endeavors. Criticisms that epidemiology fails to solve major public health problems, such as tobacco use; that it overemphasizes methods; that it fails to meet the needs of public health practitioners; and that it isolates itself from public health ethics are unwarranted. However, epidemiology should focus on addressing issues that directly affect public health decisions and should clearly communicate information about such issues to public health workers. Public health is far more complex than merely applying epidemiology.