Public Health Responsibilities of Health Care Practitioners - In Depth Notes

Learning Outcomes

• 9.1 Define and determine the purpose of collecting vital statistics and identify reporting procedures.
• 9.2 Summarize the purpose and impact of public health functions.
• 9.3 Cite examples of reportable diseases and injuries, and explain how they are reported.
• 9.4 Discuss federal drug regulations, including the Controlled Substances Act.

Vital Statistics

• Vital statistics are collected by government officials to assess population trends and needs:
  • Live births
  • Deaths
  • Fetal deaths/induced abortions
  • Changes in individual’s civil status

Use of Vital Statistic Information

• Various stakeholders utilize vital statistics for informed decision-making:
  • Educational institutions
  • Governmental agencies
  • Research scientists
  • Private industries
  • Other organizations and individuals

Recording Births and Deaths

• Guidelines to complete vital record forms include:
  • Type or print all entries.
  • Leave no entries blank.
  • Avoid corrections and erasures.
  • Provide signatures where requested.
  • File only originals with state registrars.
  • Verify spelling of names.
  • Avoid abbreviations.
  • Refer problems to state officials.

Death Certificate Information

• Must include essential details like:
  • Cause of death (disease, injury, or complication)
  • Date and time of death
  • Place of death
  • Pregnancy status if applicable
  • Autopsy performed status

Deaths Subject to Autopsy

• Certain types of deaths may require an autopsy:
  • Possibly due to criminal causes.
  • Unattended death.
  • Causes undetermined by the physician.
  • Violent or otherwise suspicious deaths.

Forensic Medicine

• A division of medicine intertwining law and medicine, focusing on:
  • Medical issues in trials involving malpractice, crimes, and accidents.

Public Health Functions

• Based on the 10th Amendment of U.S. Constitution demonstrating:
  • Federalism: Sharing power among national, state, and local governments.
  • Public health statutes to ensure citizens' health and well-being.

Provisions of Public Health Statutes

• Regulations to safeguard public health include:
  • Guard against unsanitary conditions in public facilities.
  • Inspect food and drink establishments.
  • Control pests and vermin.
  • Monitor water quality.
  • Implement measures for disease control.
  • Require reporting from health care providers.

Enforcement Power of the States

• States have authority to:
  • Investigate infectious disease outbreaks.
  • Mandate vaccinations for school entry.
  • Ban free cigarette samples around children.
  • Institute smoking bans.
  • Quarantine individuals with infectious diseases.
  • Seize/destroy property to manage toxic threats.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Provides protective services and education, analyzing data for disease solutions:
  • Example: Notifying the public about food poisoning outbreaks.

Reportable Diseases and Injuries

• Each state determines reportable diseases, including:
  • Sexually transmitted diseases when diagnosed.
  • HIV notification requirements.
  • Communicable diseases with stringent reporting for public-facing healthcare workers.
  • Examples:
  • Mumps
  • Pertussis
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Rabies

Vaccine Legal Liability

• Important legislation includes:
  • National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.
  • National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).
  • Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act (SEPP).
  • Current COVID-19 vaccines and boosters regulations.

Vaccination Documentation

• Essential information to record includes:
  • Date vaccine was administered.
  • Vaccine manufacturer.
  • Vaccine lot number.
  • Details of administering healthcare provider.

Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

• Report any:
  • Events listed in the Vaccine Injury Table.
  • Contraindicating events from the manufacturer’s package insert.

Reportable Injuries

• Examples of reportable injuries include:
  • Assault and Rape
  • Domestic Violence (child, spousal, elder abuse)
  • The Unborn Victims of Violence Act

Signs of Abuse

• Physical Signs:
  • Unexplained fractures, repeated injuries, burns with unusual shapes, friction burns, bite marks, malnutrition, or dehydration.
  • Possible indicators of sexual abuse.
• Behavioral Signs:
  • Illogical explanations for injuries, frequently changing physicians, changes in appetite.

Drug Regulators

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
  • Tests and approves prescription drugs.
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA):
  • Regulates the sale and use of drugs.

Controlled Substances Act

• Categorizes drugs based on their potential for abuse into five schedules:
  • Schedule 1: No currently accepted medical use.
  • Schedule 2: High potential for abuse.
  • Schedule 3: Moderate to low potential for dependence.
  • Schedule 4: Low potential for abuse and dependence risk.
  • Schedule 5: Lower potential for abuse than Schedule 4 drugs.

Medical and Recreational Marijuana

• Medical marijuana: Laws allowing use in 37 states as of November 2021.
• Recreational marijuana: Legalized in 18 states, two territories, and D.C. as of November 2021, with varying state laws.