TRANSITION SERIESTRANSITION SERIES

Topics for the Advanced EMTTopics for the Advanced EMT

CHAPTERCHAPTER

Public Health and EMSPublic Health and EMS

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ObjectivesObjectives

• Introduce what public health is and its determining components.

• Differentiate between public health and individual patient care.

• Discuss milestones of public health and how they affect EMS.

• Integrate EMS and public health principles.

IntroductionIntroduction

• Public health deals with the health status of people, from small communities to nations.

• EMS and public health are not dissimilar in overall intent; EMS focuses on the person while public health focuses on people.

Public Health vs. Patient CarePublic Health vs. Patient Care

• Public health and medicine (EMS) are both grounded in science.

• Both work closely together with similar goals.

• The overall purpose of both is to ensure a healthy population, although tasks to achieve this are different.

Public Health versus Medicine

Achievements of Public HealthAchievements of Public Health

• Public health achievements– Vaccinations– Motor vehicle safety– Safer work places– Control of infectious diseases– Decline in heart disease

Achievements of Achievements of Public Health (cont’d)Public Health (cont’d)

• Public health achievements– Safer and healthier foods– Healthier mothers and babies– Family planning– Fluoridation of water– Decreased tobacco use

EMS and Public HealthEMS and Public Health

• How EMS interfaces with public health– 1996 EMS Agenda for the Future– 2002 National Public Health

Performance Standards Program– Primary, secondary, and tertiary

prevention programs (Example Falls)

EMS has a role among other members of the interrelated public health system.

SummarySummary

• Once individual entities, public health and medicine (hence EMS) have become more intertwined in the creation of a healthier nation.

• Through primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs, both entities will be able to achieve more together than either can alone.