Module 3: Public Health Data and Communications

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to public health data sources, health communication, population health indicators, data quality, graphical presentation, perceptual effects, and decision-making approaches in public health.

Health Communications

Methods for collecting, compiling, and presenting health information, addressing how we perceive, combine, and use information to make decisions.

Public Health Surveillance

Data collected, published, and distributed without identifying specific individuals, used to track health outcomes and exposures.

Single Case or Small Series

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data involving case reports of one or a small number of cases, useful for dramatic, unusual, and new conditions.

Vital Statistics

Public health surveillance data sources including birth, death, fetal death, marriage, and divorce records, required by law and complete due to social and financial consequences.

Reportable Diseases

Key communicable and specifically selected noncommunicable diseases that are required by law to be reported to public health authorities.

Surveys-Sampling

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data used to draw conclusions about overall populations and subgroups from representative samples (e.g., NHANES, BRFSS).

Self-reporting (Surveillance)

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data where individuals report adverse effects, particularly useful for drugs and vaccines.

Sentinel Monitoring

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data used for early warnings or identifying previously unrecognized events, such as influenza outbreaks.

Syndromic Surveillance

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data that uses symptom patterns and increased sales of over-the-counter drugs to alert of possible new or increased disease.

Social Media (Surveillance)

A quantitative source of public health surveillance data using keywords from social media to detect and monitor disease outbreaks, offering potential for immediate data from a large number of individuals.

Population Health Status Measures

Summaries that describe the health of overall populations, such as infant mortality rate and life expectancy.

Infant Mortality Rate

A key population health indicator measuring the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.

Life Expectancy

A key population health indicator representing the average number of years a person is expected to live.

Under-5 Mortality

A key population health indicator measuring the probability of dying between birth and exactly 5 years of age.

Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE)

A key population health indicator that combines life expectancy with a measure of the quality of health during those years.

Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY)

A key population health indicator measuring the sum of years of potential life lost due to premature mortality and years of productive life lost due to disability.

Incomplete Information

Accurate information that does not provide a full picture or all necessary context.

Misinformation

Inaccurate or false information that is believed by the user to be accurate.

Disinformation

Incorrect information intentionally presented to encourage specific actions or mislead.

X-Y Graphics

A basic form of graphical presentation, typically used to show relationships between two variables.

Geometric Graphics

A basic form of graphical presentation (e.g., column charts) used to display information, often for comparisons.

Pie Charts

A basic form of graphical presentation used to display parts of a whole, often as percentages.

Health Literacy

The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Dread Effect

A factor influencing the perception of public health information where hazards easily produce very visual and feared consequences.

Unfamiliarity Effect

A factor influencing the perception of public health information where hazards one lacks experience with may elicit more fear.

Uncontrollability Effect

A factor influencing the perception of public health information where hazards perceived to be out of one's control are seen as more threatening.

Probability (Decision-Making)

The likelihood or chance (expressed as 0% to 100% or 0 to 1) that a particular outcome will occur in health decision-making.

Utility Scale

A scale (0% to 100% or 0 to 1) used to measure the value or importance placed on a good or a bad outcome, enabling combination with probability in decision-making.

Discounting (Decision-Making)

A concept in health decision-making that considers 'how soon' an outcome will happen, suggesting future benefits or harms may be valued differently than immediate ones.

Risk-Taking Attitudes

Individual preferences that favor taking actions or avoiding actions that may differ from given recommendations in health decision-making.

Inform of Decision

A healthcare decision-making approach where the clinician has all essential information and makes decisions in the patient’s best interest.

Informed Consent

A healthcare decision-making approach where the clinician provides a recommendation, and the patient is given adequate information to give their permission before an intervention.

Shared Decision-Making

A healthcare decision-making approach where the clinician provides information or resources, and the patient actively participates in making the health decision.