Introduction
Public health data is essential in implementing evidence-based measures to safeguard people’s safety and well-being against illnesses and other social concerns that require immediate intervention. Public health appraisal aimed at ascertaining factors causing major health concerns to different populations hinges on identifying relevant pre-existing data or acquiring new information to help achieve the primary investigation objectives. In this case, health officials must determine whether the available data can be used to inform inquiries or whether additional information needs to be gathered and, if so, how to collect it expeditiously and efficiently.
How Public Health Officials Collect Data
The officials utilize various methods to identify health issues, where they exist, and the populations most affected. A surveillance system monitors health-related problems in a population (Guerra et al., 2019). This may be active, where officers search for cases, or passive, where community organizations report incidents. Another approach may involve collecting samples, such as water specimens, through environmental monitoring (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). This can identify potential health risks affecting marginalized citizens and not middle-class neighborhoods. Experts may also use surveys to understand the prevalence or risk factors for specific health concerns. The technique may gather information on health-related behaviors, such as smoking or nutrition patterns, which may pose serious health concerns to some communities and not others.
How Officials Compile the Data That Is Gathered
Public health agencies at the local, state, or federal level compile the data they collect using various methods. Electronic health records (EHRs) are essential for systematically compiling information for surveilling the target population (CDC, 2018). Additionally, vital records, such as birth and death certificates, can be used to assemble data on infant and maternal mortality (World Health Organization, n.d). This technique can provide information about the incidence and prevalence of certain health conditions and demographics. Additionally, public health information systems (PHIS) are essential in analyzing and assembling public health data. This platform may include immunization registries and laboratory reporting systems.
How Data Is Disseminated
Public health departments disseminate data to different stakeholders through various means. Health officials may use reports and reviewed publications summarizing their findings and recommendations (Kelly et al., 2022). Both citizens and healthcare personnel may get these documents online or in print through health department outlets. Communication technologies have also increased access to information. Therefore, public health officials can share their findings through an organization’s website or social media, including Facebook (Kelly et al., 2022). In addition, public personnel may issue alerts to communities and healthcare agencies to inform them of a particular health emergency.
The geographical area and settings may influence the communication channels that public health officials may use. Other options may include developing educational materials, such as videos and brochures, to share information with groups in learning institutions. Similarly, the officials can make presentations to demonstrate their findings during webinars and conferences attended by various health experts and members of the communities. Lastly, depending on the size of the audience, public health departments can use press releases through media outlets to publicize significant findings or issue policy briefs (Zhang et al., 2022). Data may be distributed to local, state, or national media outlets.
Effects of Human Culture
Human culture has a major influence on how the public perceives health data. For instance, how individuals take in or understand health information may be impacted by their health-related values and practices regarding the causes and preventions of various health concerns. In this case, some communities may view increased cases of diabetes as divine punishment and pray to manage and improve their health (Juárez-Ramírez et al., 2019). Similarly, language is an integral part of the culture and influences how data is perceived. If a report released by officials is not available in a people’s local language, they may have difficulty interpreting the information and disregard it.
People’s culture, especially those living in disadvantaged communities, may be embedded in a long history of marginalization, and the healthcare system can be part of it. Thus, distrust of public health information is common in underserved areas. Low trust levels in public health officials influence how individuals in certain regions perceive and respond to health data. In some cultures, there may be a deep mistrust of authority figures or the government, making it difficult for public health officials to communicate health information effectively (Webb Hooper et al., 2019). Culture negatively affects healthcare access and directly impacts health information perception and use. In other regions, specific health topics may be a taboo or stigmatized, preventing individuals from seeking information on those issues.
How Culture Affect the Use of the Health Information
Individuals from different backgrounds usually have unique beliefs regarding public health information. Culture can negatively or positively affect the perception and use of data issued by health officials. For instance, if Hispanics and African-Americans living in Houston and New York value traditional medicine over modern interventions, they are less likely to seek out or use public health information or follow its recommendations to improve their health (Latif, 2020). On the other hand, suppose the middle and upper-class neighborhoods value preventive measures regarding various health problems; they are likely to rely on data provided to improve their well-being.
How Public Health Data Can Be Used
Public health data is essential in addressing social determinants of health at all levels of government. For example, information may be used to identify disparities in access to care and health outcomes between socioeconomic groups of those living in underserved areas and individuals in middle-class neighborhoods in the same city. The government can use this data to target interventions and resources for the communities with the greatest need (Latif, 2020). Health reports may be used to inform policy decisions at all levels of administration. For instance, data on the risk factors of obesity can aid in developing strategies and programs to address these issues.
Conclusion
Public health information can help implement evidence-based measures to safeguard populations from various health risks. Surveillance, environmental monitoring, and surveys are used to collect this data. Once the information is collected the data, multiple systems, like EHRs and PHIS, are used for compiling, and it is then disseminated through publications, reports, press releases, videos, and online platforms. These strategies help access the data and develop public health interventions to improve health outcomes. Nevertheless, culture and language can influence how communities perceive public health data. For instance, the information provided in a language not culturally appropriate or understood by the target communities can be ignored. Thus, public health officials need to address different cultural factors to improve the use of health information to contribute to better health outcomes.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Collecting data. Web.
Guerra, J., Acharya, P., & Barnadas, C. (2019). Community-based surveillance: A scoping review. PLOS ONE, 14(4), 1-25. Web.
Juárez-Ramírez, C., Théodore, F. L., Villalobos, A., Allen-Leigh, B., Jiménez-Corona, A., Nigenda, G., & Lewis, S. (2019). The importance of the cultural dimension of food in understanding the lack of adherence to diet regimens among Mayan people with diabetes. Public Health Nutrition, 22(17), 3238–3249. Web.
Kelly, S. E., McGowan, J., Barnhardt, K., & Straus, S. E. (2022). Paper 4: A review of reporting and disseminating approaches for rapid reviews in health policy and systems research. Systematic Reviews, 11(152), 1-10. Web.
Latif, A. S. (2020). The importance of understanding social and cultural norms in delivering quality health care-A personal experience commentary. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 5(1), 22. Web.
Webb Hooper, M., Mitchell, C., Marshall, V. J., Cheatham, C., Austin, K., Sanders, K., Krishnamurthi, S., & Grafton, L. L. (2019). Understanding multilevel factors related to urban community trust in healthcare and research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), 3280. Web.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS). Web.
Zhang, Y., Shan, J., & Ye, Z. (2022). Government information dissemination during public health emergencies: An analysis of China’s experiences. Frontiers in Public Health, 10 (748238), 1-11. Web.
