Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Introduction

Will the application of the principles of applied epidemiology improve the quality of services offered to patients in a healthcare organization? Applied epidemiology is a study in medicine that deals with the distribution and frequency of any particular disease in the different human populations. It is applicable to public health practices and it covers the frequency and distribution of a disease in different populations or subgroups such as people of different ages, people with different lifestyles, etc. The data is collected from patients in these populations is the one that is used in applied epidemiology. This paper will seek to explain the key concepts of applied epidemiology, the importance and relevance of applied epidemiology to healthcare leaders and managers, the means of leadership and management that is necessary to help in climbing the applied epidemiology learning curve, and the corporate-wide vision, implementation, expectations and methods in a healthcare organization. The numerous research and analysis done in applied epidemiology is necessary for the improvement of services offered to patients in healthcare organizations as it will help the management and the staff in the healthcare organizations to be always prepared at any given time.

Key Concepts of Applied Epidemiology

Applied epidemiology helps in determining the magnitude of a particular disease in a given population or in the different subgroups within the population. The analysis of the collected data in a given population is very important because this data will be used to make inferences on the entire population. The magnitude of the disease and any the magnitude of any other condition related to the disease can be determined using this data (Rose & Diana 1998). In the future, managers and other leaders in the healthcare organizations will use the inferences made from this data to know the approach that they will give to any future occurrence of that disease. The impact of the disease in that population and its severity in the different subgroups in the population can be easily determined in applied epidemiology (Rose & Diana 1998). The information regarding the magnitude and the impact in the different subgroups will then be used to determine the particular subgroups that will be given priorities during control and investigation. Since the investigation will involve several diseases in the study population, the magnitude of a disease and its impact to the health of the patients will determine the disease

Epidemiology

that will get the priority and the ones to follow. The research done in applied epidemiology will also cover the instruments that were used in treatment previously and the results that were obtained as a result of the application of each instrument. This information will be very necessary in determining the most appropriate instruments that can be used for the treatment of a particular disease. Applied epidemiology can also be used in determining the history of any disease in a given population and also outline the many events that have led to the development of the disease to its current extent. When it comes to the improvement of the services offered to patients by the healthcare organizations, applied epidemiology is very appropriate because it will be used to determine the causes of the disease under study and at the same time help the specialists to come up with some preventive measures that will be used to prevent the occurrence of the disease or the extent of the impacts of the disease.

Importance and Relevance of Applied Epidemiology to Healthcare Leaders and Managers

Application of applied epidemiology by managers and leaders in healthcare organizations helps in the improvement of services offered to patients in the healthcare organizations. The managers and the leaders in the healthcare organizations are the individuals who are held responsible for the observation of how the different services are offered to patients in the healthcare organizations (Stephen & Joanna 2001). If the study done shows that some particular instruments are more appropriate in the treatment of a certain disease, the managers and the leaders in the healthcare organizations will make an effort of providing these instruments. The managers and the leaders will also ensure that the proper training has been given on the use of the instruments so that the instruments can be used appropriately. The end result of this is the achievement of clinical improvement in the healthcare organization which is an improvement in the quality of services offered. Application of applied epidemiology by managers and leaders in healthcare organizations will lead to the integration of some healthcare services. This integration of the services is aimed at achieving some improvements in the healthcare organizations. For example, proper orientation and training given to members of the staff will help these individuals to work on any particular task as a whole and not a part of it leaving the rest to another member for continuation. This helps not only in improving the quality of services offered but also in saving time that could have wasted when members of the staff are moving up and down to attend to various tasks at different areas. Applied epidemiology concentrates on populations or subgroups of populations and not on individual patients (Rose & Diana 1998). The analysis done will clearly show the spread of a disease in a given group or subgroup. In trying to give the best services to these groups or subgroups, the leaders and managers will use applied epidemiology to organize providers into networks. This way, one individual who is an employee of the same body can be used to offer his or her expertise to patients at different locations of the healthcare organizations in these groups or subgroups. Applied epidemiology will also help the managers and the leaders to compare the outcomes of the new changes made in the healthcare organizations with the previous outcomes by use of

Epidemiology

the patient outcomes. The results obtained in applied epidemiology will be used by the managers and the leaders to help them come up with new ideas that will be used in the development of new services and in making changes to the existing services so that the services can give the best results. Through applied epidemiology, the managers and the leaders in the healthcare organizations will be able to document and evaluate the quality of the healthcare organizations.

Means of Leadership and Management That Is Necessary To Help in Climbing the Applied Epidemiology Learning Curve

For the smooth application of applied epidemiology in the healthcare organization, the some means of leadership must be applied by the management especially in the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data that is collected for making inferences. Whenever a change is to be implemented in any field, it comes with its own challenges. When the healthcare organization plans to implement applied epidemiology in all its departments, some changes must be made in the management so as to accommodate the new changes brought in. in trying to reach the goal of improving the quality of services offered to patients in the healthcare organizations, the managers and leaders in these organizations must address a few issues. Since applied epidemiology basically deals with the frequency and distribution of diseases either in a whole population or in the different subgroups in the population, the management should ensure that the data that was collected is not biased and is not treated with some biasness during analysis (Raymond & Stephen, 2002). Any traces of biasness in the analysis of data will result into wrong inferences made which will result to wrong conclusions made and the wrong services offered. This will make the condition of the disease in the population even worse instead of improving it. When a statistical model is being developed, the management should ensure that all the relevant variables are put into consideration whether primary or secondary. This way, it will be possible to identify the reasons for the severity of a disease to a particular subgroup is more than in another. This will be useful in determining the preventive measures that will be taken in the different subgroups in the population.

Corporate-Wide Vision, Implementation, Expectations and Methods in a Healthcare Organization

The healthcare wishes to be the best in offering the best services in the region and is

Epidemiology

determined to use the best methods for the attainment of the best results. When the principles of applied epidemiology are applied in all the departments, all members of staff from these departments are expected to apply their maximum skills and work from within and not when required. The managers in these different departments in the healthcare organizations must ensure that the principles are applied by all and that the members receive proper training and orientation in using any new instrument that is put in place (John, 2004).

Conclusion

Applied epidemiology deals with the frequency and magnitude of a disease in a given population or in a subgroup of the population and not with individuals. It has been found that the application of applied epidemiology in healthcare organizations leads to an improvement in the quality of services offered to patients. Applied epidemiology helps the managers and leaders in the healthcare organizations know the magnitude of a particular disease in a population and the impact of the disease to that population. This will help in determining the particular diseases that should be given priorities in relation to others and the particular groups that should be given priorities when a prevention measure is being made. Applied epidemiology is very important to managers and leaders in the healthcare organizations because it helps the managers and leaders in planning the most appropriate instruments to be used in the treatment of a certain disease in a given subgroup. In the application of applied epidemiology, the management should ensure that the necessary care is taken when collection, interpretation, and analysis of data is being done so that the measures taken can be appropriate for the improvement of the services offered to the patients.

References

John, G. (2004). Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 08-12.

Raymond, S. G. & Stephen, R. D. (2002). Medical epidemiology. New York; McGraw-Hill Professional, 162-164.

Epidemiology

Rose, C. B. & Diana, B. P. (1998). Applied Epidemiology: Theory to Practice. Oxford; Oxford University Press, 24-56.

Stephen, B. T. & Joanna, B. (2001). International Journal of Epidemiology.

Oxford; Oxford University Press, 14-17.