Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Introduction and History of Modern Health Care in the U.S.
Lecture:How Public Health has Improved Health Care
Slide content:10 Great Public Health Achievements U.S., 1900-1999 Vaccination Motor-vehicle safety Safe workplaces Control of infectious diseases Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke Safer and healthier foods Healthier mothers and babies Family planning Fluoridation of drinking water Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard 5
Slide notes:So what are the ten great public health achievements in the United States this century? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists them as: vaccination, motor vehicle safety, safe work places, control of infectious diseases, a decline in death from coronary heart disease and stroke, safer and healthier food, healthier mothers and babies, family planning, the fluoridation of drinking water, and the recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard. Its interesting that each of these achievements requires large populations to actively shift the way they think about illness and act in a large-scale fashion to make changes in behavior in order to successfully implement public health improvement. Its also interesting that though scientific advancements have spearheaded many of these achievements, public education remains a primary motivator of public health achievements. 5