Module 3 Public Health 101

Health communications

include interpersonal communication about health, and health communication about health issues to the public

Public health informatics

the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning, which supports public health goals and decision-making

life expectancy

the use of statistical methods to estimate how long a person is expected to live.

infant mortality rate

the number of infants, one year or younger, that die in a population, that die in a population in a year, divided by the number of live births in a year x 1000

under 5 mortality rate

the probability of dying between birth and 5 years of age, expressed per 1000 live births

Health adjusted life expectancy (HALE)

measures the effect of diseases and other debilitating conditions on life expectancy and quality of life

Disability adjusted life year (DALY)

measure of the global burden of disease, include both the numbers of years of life lost and the number of years of life lost due to disability

Health literacy

an individual ability to obtain, understand, and use health information and services to make appropriate decisions

Decision analysis

a way to compare different strategies or solutions to a problem

Single case or small series

alert to new disease or resistant disease; alert to potential spread beyond initial areas. Useful for dramatic, unusual, and new conditions.

Statistics and reportable diseases

Required by law; birth and deaths key to defining leading causes of disease.

surveys-sampling

Drawing conclusions about overall population and subgroups from representative samples.

Self-reporting

may help identify unrecognized or unusual events. useful when dramatic, unusual events closely follow initial use of drug or vaccine

Sentinel monitoring

early warnings or warning of previously unrecognized events. Requires significant knowledge of disease and use of services to develop.

Syndromic surveillance

use of symptom patterns to raise alerts of possible new or increased disease.

Social media

Data on outbreaks using key words from social media.

Dread effect

hazards that easily produce very visual and feared consequences

Unfamiliarity effect

hazards we lack experience with may elicit more fear

Uncontrollability effect

hazards out of our control as perceived as more threatening