A public health department makes sure that the essential ...

[Charlie]

A public health department makes sure that the essential community-oriented health services are available in the community. Which of the following core public health functions is being imple-mented?
 
  a. Policy development
  b. Assessment
  c. Assurance
  d. Scientific knowledge-based care

Question 2

A public health department is using the mission of public health as described by the Institute of Medicine when planning its health programming. Which of the following activities will most likely be implemented?
 
  a. Tracking avian flu outbreaks and doing surveillance in the United States
  b. Providing a flu shot for an elderly person at the health department
  c. Keeping track of alternative therapies in use in the United States
  d. Keeping snake antivenom at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in At-lanta

[alvinum]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Assurance focuses on the responsibility of public health agencies to ensure certain activities have been appropriately carried out to meet public health goals and plans. Policy development seeks to build constituencies that can help bring about change in public policy. Assessment includes activ-ities that involve collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on both the health status and the health-related aspects of a community or a specific population. Public health is based on scientific knowledge, but is not a core function.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
The Institute of Medicine's stated mission on public health is to generate organized community and technical knowledge to prevent disease and promote health. Tracking avian flu outbreaks and doing surveillance applies this concept at a population level. Providing a flu shot for an el-derly person only addresses individual care. Keeping track of the use of alternative therapies does nothing to prevent disease or promote health of the population. Keeping snake antivenom is aimed at disease care for an individual, not health promotion or disease prevention.

[Charlie]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[Liddy]

Great answer, keep it coming