Deck 2: An Introduction to Population Health

Question 1

Giving an example, discuss how social determinants of health can be responsible for health inequities.

Answer 1

Answers may vary, but the discussion should be focused on the fact that inequities occur because of differences in health status that are unfair and avoidable. For example, lack of access to food is a social determinant of health. The lack of access to food may be related to the community one lives in or the region's ability to produce safe food for the population. The lack of food can lead to malnutrition, which can be addressed through programs that provide food to the population to prevent malnutrition and the conditions that accompany it. Another example could be access to a safe water supply. An unsafe water supply can lead to disease and conditions that would not be present where the water supply is safe. The access to and availability of safe water can be addressed through social policies that provide access.

Question 2

Describe the limitations that are present when specific classifications are used, such as race and ethnicity, to gather data on populations.

Answer 2

Answers will vary, but the key component should be related to the fact that not all people fit into the specific classifications provided when building databases. For example, when addressing the infant mortality rate, mothers and the infants may not consider themselves of one race or one ethnicity. This causes the individuals to be categorized (or categorize themselves) specifically rather than by a combination with which they may more completely identify. For example, the infant may have parents of different ethnicities, so it would be difficult to identify one ethnicity for the infant. The use of specific classifications assist in providing some information, but that information may not be complete or fully reflect the population it attempts to represent.

Question 3

Describe the importance of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aim to population health.

Answer 3

Triple Aim serves to bring public health and clinical health together through a focus on strengthening the connection between the two different care environments. Triple Aim is used to optimize the health system's performance through developing new designs. These designs address the aims of improving the patient experience, improving health of populations, and reducing the cost of healthcare per capita. The Triple Aim is important because it brings the aspects of public health together with clinical health to better serve individuals and communities.

Question 4

The new nurse in a public health setting asks, "Why does the CDC give us infant mortality rates from two years ago?" Which answer to the nurse's question is correct?

A) Parents need to be contacted before using birth and death records.
B) Infant birth and death records must be reviewed for accuracy before use.
C) Time is needed to collect, organize, and calculate the IMR on multiple levels.
D) Infant death records need to be accompanied by a medical summary of the cause of death.

Question 5

The public health nurse is reviewing the trends regarding severe maternal mortality (SMM) and discovers the CDC reported an overall increasing trend in the US for hospitalized deliveries from 1993 to 2014. Which factor is identified as causing an increase of 200% in SMM?

A) Administration of blood transfusions around the time of delivery
B) Lack of availability and/or access to prenatal medical care
C) Pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes mellitus
D) Impact and side effects of opioid abuse during pregnancy

Question 6

The Institute for Health Care Improvement (IHI) uses their Triple Aim framework to optimize health systems performance. Which option correctly identifies IHI's focus on Triple Aim for populations?

A) Strengthening existing models of population health management
B) Limiting healthcare packages for low-risk, low-cost populations
C) Launching local campaigns to focus on disparities and inequities
D) Building the capacity and skills for population health improvement

Question 7

The public health nurse is reviewing recent reports released by government health agencies, which are used to assess and monitor the nation's health status. What does the term "population-based" indicate to the nurse?

A) Its approach is rarely used in public health studies.
B) It employed a form of convenience sampling.
C) Its results can be generalized to a population.
D) Its findings are specific to a certain population.

Question 8

A newly hired nurse works in a health clinic. Screening for Body Mass Index (BMI) is being performed for high school students. The new nurse states, "I am shocked that nearly all the students are either overweight or obese." Which factor is important for the nurse to obtain?

A) If students come from low-income families
B) If age-appropriate weight-loss programs exist
C) If there is a high incidence of weight-related diseases
D) If the students are being screened for athletic programs

Question 9

The CDC considers Hispanic as an ethnicity, while race is defined as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and White.

Question 10

The social determinants of health and other factors affecting health outcomes do not disappear once a person enters the clinical health care setting.

Question 11

Appropriate Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) or Human Subject Committees should be consulted to ascertain how a study is reviewed.

Question 12

_________ populations are enterprise-level populations that make business sense.

Question 13

The purpose of CDC definitions and classifications is to provide a standardized ________ to use when organizing data collected from individuals.