Overview - PH 422: Applying Informatics to Community Health Assessment

After completing PH 422, learners will be proficient in obtaining, applying, and interpreting measures of population health status that are commonly used in community health processes. Key aspects of this competency expectation include:

• identifying data and information sources relevant and appropriate for community health improvement activities, including data and information on population health status, determinants of health and illness, factors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention, and factors influencing the use of health services
• describing uses and limitations of both quantitative and qualitative data
• collecting, summarizing and interpreting information relevant to community health problems
• interpreting ethical, political, scientific, and economic issues related to public health problems
• evaluating the integrity and comparability of data and identifying gaps in data sources
  

This course involves several learning activities; see the PH 422 Exercises document for detailed instructions.

• Content: the content for this course is provided in the specific readings and other resources identified in the PH 422 Exercises document.
• Office Hours: This messaging system was created to handle questions and announcements. Visit this site to introduce yourself to the course as well as to help you get familiar with the workings of the system.
• Exercises:
  1. Individual Exercises: submit the completed individual exercise under the link "Submit Assignments". Your instructor will provide feedback by replying to your posting
  2. Conferencing Exercise: add your contribution to this multi-learner conferencing exercise.
  3. Assessment Quiz: complete and submit the multiple choice assessment quiz for PH 422.

The instructor will evaluate your responses to the various exercises and indicate when you have successfully completed PH 422. For learners interested in going beyond the basics, a list of additional resources, including readings and other materials, is available through the Additional Resources link. This list emphasizes the most up-to-date materials. Information on related courses is provided in the PH 420 Course Series Syllabus. PH 423 (or any other course) can begin whenever you wish, so feel free to begin the readings that are identified for the course that you plan to take next.

PH 422 Overview last revised July 12, 2004 (bturnock)