Concepts in Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

Purpose

The purpose of this discussion is to apply concepts in epidemiology and health surveillance to a selected population.

Instructions

Explore the determinants of health and the National Practice Problems that most affect the population you selected in Week 1. Review the following index to locate an epidemiological report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Link (website): CDC A-Z Index (Links to an external site.)

This report contains data on specific diseases as reported by state and regional health departments, as well as recommendations that have been issued by the CDC.

Use the index to review the most significant issue pertaining to your selected population and one of the eight National Practice Problems to address the following:

1. Explore the epidemiologic principles and measures used to address your selected practice problem.
2. Examine the use of descriptive and/or analytic epidemiology to address the practice problem.
3. Propose how you might use surveillance to influence the determinants of health and improve the health outcomes of your population.
4. Anticipate any ethical concerns that you might have related to the use of surveillance data in your population.

Please click on the following link to review the DNP Discussion Guidelines on the Student Resource Center program page:

Hello! I hope you enjoyed Week 1 as we learned about the foundations of population health and the culturally appropriate services needed to improve outcomes for populations. This week, you will take that knowledge a step further by examining the role of epidemiology in assessing the health—or lack of health—in populations. Your exploration will begin with an investigation into descriptive and analytic epidemiology. These concepts build on information gained in previous courses, so you will not be surprised to learn that the difference between descriptive and analytic epidemiology is the use of a control group to develop hypotheses about causal relationships. We will also look at the use of population health data as a tool to treat the eight National Practice Problems. A clear understanding of the data and the implications of statistics helps the DNP-prepared nurse intervene appropriately to resolve health disparities in vulnerable populations. There is much important work to be done to improve population health outcomes. Let’s get started!

Our interactive discussion addresses the following Course Outcomes (COs):

• Synthesize ethical and legal principles to advocate for value-based, equitable, and ethical health policies at the micro, meso, and macrosystem levels. (PO 9)
  • Assimilate epidemiology principles and interventions to impact the social determinants of health, Global Burden of Disease, and population health outcomes. (PO 1)