Public Health - Research Paper Example

Public Health The essay aims to address a two-fold objective to discuss to study further the definition of Public Health; and (2) to explain the differences between the three levels of prevention and use other information from different sources. Public Health Public Health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organized community effort (Riegelman, 2009, p. 4). Many people perceive public health as the activities ascribed to governmental public health agencies, resulting to the common view that public health primarily involves the provision of medical care to indigent populations (Turnock, 2009, p. 8) Public Health is classified into three types of prevention.

The three levels of prevention in the community settings are; primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. The three levels of prevention help the individual, the people and the community to attain better and good health (Adler & Denmark, 1995, p. 1). Jake sustained life threatening injuries which requires month of rehabilitation. Jake will require the tertiary level of prevention as tertiary level of prevention deals with the rehabilitation phase and recovery. In addition, tertiary level of prevention refers to prevention initiatives, made to restore the highest function, optimal reconstitution, and support adaptation at risk (Adler & Denmark, 1995, p. 2). Meanwhile, the primary level of prevention focuses mainly on health promotion and health education.

This activity is concerned with preventing disease or illness, such as giving immunization, maintaining diet, and body weight. The secondary level of prevention focuses in treating the disease, promoting early detection, and screening like breast self-examination, genetic counseling, and newborn screening. To minimize future incidents such as Jake experienced, the public should utilize and implement more the primary level of prevention as this level of prevention is the most cost effective form of health care.

Its target is the community as a whole and it early address, avoid or stop any unhealthy occurrence that might develop (Alder & Denmark, 1995, p. 1). Public Health has different core disciplines, which are classified into two categories. First is the technical core, which includes problem solving, data analysis, policy development, program and financial planning, and basic health science skills, and the intrapersonal and interpersonal core which includes communication, group effectiveness, creating participative environment, cultural competence, managing people, and applying basic “people” skills ( Shi, 2007, p. 116). How is Jake’s case related to the public health core disciplines?

First, Jake didn’t follow the technical core – the public health discipline responsible for policy development. This method involves lecture and rule-driven approach for novices which Jake needs. In addition, Jake’s case is also related to the interpersonal core because Jake’s should focus more on communication and must cooperate in creating a participative environment in order to minimize or avoid future incidents. References Adler, L.L & Denmark, F.L. (1995). Violence and the Prevention of Violence (p.1-3). Westport CT: Praeger Publishers.

Riegelman, Richard (2009). Public Health 101: Healthy People, Healthy Populations (p.4). Jones and Bartlett Publishers International. Shi, Leiyu (2007). Managing Human Resources: In Health Care Organizations (p.116). Canada: Jones and Barlett Publishers. Turnock, B.J. (2009). Public Health: What It Is and How It Works (4th ed.) (p.8.). Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.