Please reply to the following discussion with one or more references. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite resources in your responses to other classmates.   

Elizabeth M.

 In this discussion post we were to describe and define the differences between population health and public health.  To describe the differences, it is important to determine how they are defined.  According to Edemekong and Tenny (2022), public health focuses on improving the overall health of the group by improving the health of the individuals by various means, including disease prevention, disease screening, disease treatment, as well as monitoring and modifying the environmental, social, economic, and political environment to improve the health of the public.  This is compared to that of population health which is defined as the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group that includes health outcomes, patterns of health determinants, and policies and interventions that link these two (Silberberg et al., 2019).

            As a DNP both concepts having an impact and are implemented in the United States.  DNP’s utilized the information they have obtained and researched from the surrounding communities and states to determine steps that will work on improving patients and the community’s health.  This allows for resources to be provided to better suit the specific community that focuses on improving overall health of the individuals. In utilizing these initiatives, it can lead to improved health outcomes for the individual and for the community.  This in turn can lead to initiating a policy change or changes within an organization that will positively impact the individual and the surrounding community.

References

Edemekong, P., & Tenny, S. (2022). Public health. Emerging infectious diseases, 24(7). Retrieved May 28, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6038731/pdf/?tool=EBI

Silberberg, M., Martinez-Bianchi, V., & Lyn, M. (2019). What is population health? Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 46(4), 475–484. Retrieved May 28, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2019.07.001