Population health issue

How many times have you heard of the case of an alleged criminal being dismissed due to “insufficient evidence”? Many times, that individual might have been guilty; however, the evidence was not sufficient enough, at that time, for a conviction. The same often applies to health data. Insufficient evidence may not mean that an intervention will not work; it might just mean that there is insufficient evidence thus far. Findings can change over time; indeed, it is not surprising that this occurs in a field that undergoes constant flux such as healthcare. However, it is difficult to garner support for use of a treatment or intervention without the stamp of sufficiency.

As a healthcare professional, it will be important for you to be able to recognize when supporting evidence is sufficient in determining whether interventions are successful. You will also need to be able to answer the question, “What’s the connection between academics and practice?” In short, research is brought to bear and, through analysis, conclusions are drawn. Evidence-based practice is one of the best tools for health educators that can have a real impact on clinical and health transformation. One way is to use population data in determining interventions for individuals with specific health conditions.

For this Discussion, you will examine an evidence-based intervention related to a population health issue and reflect on how health educators or health administrators might use evidence-based information to address population health issues.

To prepare:

Select a case study profile you have not chosen previously that represents a key population health issue from this week’s resources.

Research and identify at least 2 current scholarly resources related to the population health issue you selected.

Examine specific information available on the chosen health issue in The Community Guide, located in this week’s resources.

Choose one intervention with sufficient evidence that addresses the population health issue selected