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Online Courses: Population Health Curriculum for Health Professionals
“Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease”, World Health Organization definition of health, 1947.
This curriculum has been developed to provide introductory public health and population content for use in any health science curriculum for advanced upper level undergraduate education, and beginning graduate education.
The curriculum is contained in five modules, each in three 1-hour blocks, designed to be presented by someone familiar with the concepts of population health, but not necessarily an expert. Each 1-hour block is a separate PowerPoint presentation. Faculty are encouraged to teach in the context of current demography and health information about the population most likely to be encountered by the students. Faculty should view all PowerPoint presentation with “notes” displayed because of the valuable information contained within the notes section on each slide.
The sequence, time allocation and spacing of the modules can easily be modified to fit a specific curriculum. The modules are complemented by problem-based learning (PBL) exercises developed from real and hypothetical environmental case studies. The PBL exercises are designed for students with a faculty version containing teaching notes. These PBL exercises may be modified to suit local needs.
Included in each module are optional student activities and resource material for the faculty including references, websites, presentation notes, learning assignments, post-tests for each module and a glossary. Upon competition of these modules, the successful student will have learned: population focus and public health in the spectrum of health; discipline-specific contributions to public health; public health knowledge, skills and attitudes; and how to collaborate with public health specialists and population-based health practice.
Purpose:
- Present the public health perspective on health and illness at community level
- Introduce basic vocabulary of public health
- Establish framework for understanding specific skills and practices of public health in later modules
Objectives:
- Describe mission, responsibilities and core functions of public health systems
- Identify 5 essential services
- List the key infrastructure components
- Identify one important historical figure
- Describe future trends
Part 1: The History of Public Health
Part 2: Participants in Public Health
Part 3: Public Health Services and Systems
Problem Based Learning Exercises (Guide)
Test & Bibliography
Purpose:
- Provide an overview of the fundamentals of epidemiology as the basis for the science of public health
Special Notes about Module 2:
- This is a very elementary module, focused on introducing terms, and ending with an interactive case study.
- Learning about epidemiology is very different for those who have already mastered statistics or biostatistics.
- For such students, this module may be markedly reduced or eliminated.
Objectives:
- Define epidemiology; explain its role as foundation for public health
- Describe common measures of disease frequency
- Discuss strengths and weaknesses of study designs
- Identify applications of epidemiologic method
Part 1: Key Terms and Measures
Part 2: Applications
Part 3: Case Study
Problem Based Learning Exercises (Guide)
Test & Bibliography
Purpose:
- Introduce the concept of primary prevention
- Examine impact on reducing the incidence of disease and improving health
Objectives:
- Define health promotion, disease prevention, wellness
- Identify when and how prevention became a part of healthcare
- Understand the influence of personal lifestyle on health and disease
- Examine behavior change theory and its role in changing health habits
Part 1: Health, Health Determinants, and Health Promotion
Part 2: Lifestyle Factors and The Prevention Movement
Part 3: Learning and Models of Behavior Change
Problem Based Learning Exercises (Guide)
Additional Resources
Test & Bibliography
Purpose:
- Introduce the concepts of strategic planning for improving the health of diverse populations
Objectives:
- Define and understand the Healthy Community movement
- Demonstrate knowledge of a successful healthy community initiative
- Identify key elements in the strategic planning process
- Define diversity and its impact on health
- Describe the role of cultural competency
Part 1: Healthy Communities Movement
Part 2: Strategic Planning for Health in the Community
Part 3: Social and Cultural Influences on Health
Problem Based Learning Exercises
Additional Resources
Test
Purpose:
- The purpose of this module is to provide an exposure to some of the emerging diseases that will affect the health of the public and to examine the challenges and opportunities they pose to the public health system
Objectives:
- Describe the causes and contributing factors which lead to the emergence of infectious diseases.
- Describe the latest emerging infections which have the potential to threaten people living in the United States.
- Describe some of the measures that can be used to control and contain these diseases.
Test
A special thanks to those who contributed materials for these modules:
Kristine M. Gebbie, DrPH, RN
Associate Professor in Nursing, Columbia University School of Nursing
Director, Center for Health Policy
630 West 168th Street, Mail Box 6
New York, NY 10032
(212) 305-1794
kmg@columbia.edu
Fran C. Wheeler, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Public Health Practice
School of Public Health
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-5054
fran.wheeler@sc.edu
Diane B. Wilson EdD, RD
Associate Professor
Department of Health Administration & Policy
Medical University of South Carolina
19 Hagood Avenue Suite 408
P.O. Box 250807
Charleston, SC 29425-0807
(843) 792-8995
wilsond@musc.edu
With assistance from
Mary S. McLellan MS, RD
Research Associate
Medical University of South Carolina
Harold Gabel, MD, MPH
Public Health Consultant
halgabel@bellsouth.net
843-792-4431
SC Area Health Education Consortium
19 Hagood Avenue Suite 802
Charleston, SC 29425-0814
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