PUBH6525: Introduction to Population Health: A Health System

Population health is the field of practice and research concerned with the health of groups of individuals and the equitable distribution of health within these groups. Populations may be defined by geographic area, by social and economic characteristics such as gender, socio-economic status, and race/ethnicity, by disease states such as persons with mental illness or diabetes, or by enrollment in a health care plan or utilization of a specific health care organization. Population health takes an upstream approach, focusing on the social determinants of health and fundamental issues of health equity. While improving population health requires the involvement of multiple sectors such as public health agencies, health departments, education, housing, faith-based organizations and criminal justice, here we focus on how population heath can be addressed from within the health system through partnerships with other sectors. Using case studies, we will explore how population health innovations are applied by health systems.

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