Applying Evidence-Based Programs to Population Health to Improve Outcomes and Return on Investment Identifying evidence-based practices is a major undertaking. Yet, when health professionals take the time to fully research a practice and note the best fit for a population and condition, it can greatly improve the results of the program as a whole. Once […]

Inherent and Genetic Risk Factors Humans are born with genetic coding that may predispose them to certain diseases and conditions. A person may have a family history of high blood pressure, for example. Although that person cannot change the family history, they can make lifestyle choices that can reduce their risk of heart disease later […]

Causes and Risks of Cancer Research has revealed that there are many risk factors associated with cancer and can vary based on the type of cancer. Some of these are outside of the control of the individual in that these factors are inherent. A person cannot change their genetics to reduce their risk category. However, […]

Motivators and Diagnostic Testing Diabetes is a Greek word that means to siphon or pass through. The term mellitus was added later from a Latin word meaning “sweet” or “honey.” The condition was first documented in Egypt in 1552 B.C. when a physician noted patients experiencing frequent urination and emaciation (reflective of diabetes type 1). […]

Behavioral Theories and Models in Population Health Interventions For this Discussion, you will explore a set of interrelated terms: theories, models, and frameworks. For the purpose of this week, a theory is a set of statements developed through a process of continued perceptions. A theory is aimed at creating a generalized statement to explain a […]

Implications of Stages of Prevention to Management of Chronic Conditions Primary prevention aims to prevent a population or individual from developing a disease or condition. This might include health promotion activities aimed at building awareness of the link between behaviors and diseases (e.g., the link between condom use and prevention of HIV/AIDs). Unfortunately, not all […]

Interventions at the Population Versus Individual Level As a health practitioner, the at-risk populations for a specific disease or condition are the focus of interventions. In many cases, the knowledge gained from individual health applications may be applied to understanding human behavior and behavior change for diseases and conditions at the population level. Population health […]

The Importance of Shared Decision-Making in Evidence-Based Population Health Programs Evidence-based programs are constructed through rigorous study of the effects or outcomes of specific interventions or model programs. They demonstrate reliable and consistently positive changes in important health-related and functional measures. Utilizing proven strategies to effect change in the behavior of a population or at-risk […]

Persuasive Presentation on a Chronic Disease or Condition at the Population Level For your Final Project, you will develop a persuasive argument that you might present to a decision committee (e.g., senior leadership, financial team) to get support for an intervention aimed at a selected chronic disease or condition at the population level. To this […]

Jobs and Careers in Population Health Choosing a career as a health practitioner is a major decision. Identifying the types of people with whom you want to interact, the types of work that are of interest to you, and where your passion is in the field can help direct you to one area of health […]