Explain The Growth Of Public Health From Basic Six To Th

Explain the growth of public health from the Basic Six to the Essential Public Health Services

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapter 5: Twenty-First Century Community Public Health Practice of Public Health: What It Is and How It Works. Focus particularly on the section discussing the 10 Essential Public Health Services. Examine Table 5-3 in the chapter, which details the scope of coverage expected for Local Health Departments (LHDs) and Public Health Offices (PHOs). Additionally, consider the historical context provided by the origins of the 10 Essential Public Health Services, which evolved from the 1945 Emerson Report. Use this chapter as your primary resource, supplemented by additional research and attachments provided.

In your assignment, discuss the evolution of public health standards from the Basic Six to the current set of Essential Public Health Services. Identify and analyze the major catalysts that have contributed to the development and expansion of public health in the United States. Investigate how the organization and focus of U.S. public health standards have changed over time, paying attention to whether these standards have become more inclusive, whether they continue to emphasize similar core topics, and if the country is assuming greater responsibilities in public health initiatives.

Furthermore, propose your perspective on when and why patient-focused healthcare diverged from being primarily public-focused healthcare within the U.S. healthcare system. Support your reasoning with at least one credible source, highlighting key historical or policy-based factors that influenced this shift. Additionally, hypothesize why patient-centered healthcare tends to receive nearly 90% of the federal healthcare funding, considering economic, political, and social factors that may contribute to this allocation pattern.

This assignment aims to deepen your understanding of the historical progression of public health efforts in the United States, emphasizing the transition from broader community-focused strategies to more individualized patient care. Your analysis should demonstrate critical thinking, effective paraphrasing skills, and a clear synthesis of historical trends and contemporary practices in public health policy and funding.

Paper For Above instruction

The evolution of public health in the United States reflects a continuous process of growth, adaptation, and increasing complexity. Originally grounded in the Basic Six framework established in the mid-20th century, which emphasized sanitation, infectious disease control, maternal and child health, health promotion, environmental health, and vital statistics, the field has expanded into a more comprehensive system delineated by the Ten Essential Public Health Services. This progression highlights not only an expansion of scope but also an increasing sophistication in addressing the multifaceted challenges facing communities.

The Basic Six framework, instituted around the 1940s, served as a foundational approach that prioritized controlling communicable diseases and ensuring basic health services. However, as the United States experienced significant shifts—including urbanization, technological advances, and the rise of chronic diseases—the scope of public health needed to broaden. The creation of the Ten Essential Public Health Services in 1994 marked this shift, emphasizing functions such as policy development, community partnerships, and health promotion, reflecting a more holistic view of health that encompasses prevention, education, and disease management.

Several major catalysts drove public health growth, including the recognition of disparities in health outcomes among different populations, the impact of emerging chronic disease patterns, and the influence of technological innovations that enhanced data collection and disease surveillance. For example, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s prompted a reevaluation of public health priorities and fostered greater focus on infectious disease prevention and health education. Similarly, advances in epidemiology and information technology have empowered public health agencies to monitor health trends more effectively and to implement targeted interventions.

The organization and focus of public health standards have also evolved to become more inclusive and comprehensive. Initially centered on controlling infectious diseases, modern standards now encompass social determinants of health, health equity, mental health, and environmental factors. This broader scope signifies a collective recognition that health outcomes are influenced by a wide array of interconnected social, economic, and environmental factors, urging public health agencies to adopt a more integrated approach.

In assessing whether these standards indicate an expanded responsibility for the United States, evidence suggests an increase in the scope and complexity of public health functions. The federal government now assumes greater responsibilities through agencies like the CDC and NIH, which develop policies and fund programs addressing diverse issues from vaccination campaigns to health disparities. This shift demonstrates a societal acknowledgment of health as a multifaceted, collective responsibility that transcends individual treatment and emphasizes community-wide prevention and health promotion.

The divergence between patient-focused healthcare and public-focused healthcare likely occurred during the healthcare reforms of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, driven by economic incentives, technological advances, and policy shifts. As healthcare costs soared, there was an increasing emphasis on individual patient care as the primary mode of service delivery, led by the rise of insurance-based systems and a focus on managing individual health outcomes. This resulted in healthcare becoming more privatized and consumer-centric, often at the expense of community-wide health initiatives. Historical policy milestones, such as the Affordable Care Act, while aimed at expanding access, also contributed to this divergence by emphasizing individual coverage over population health strategies (Kiessling et al., 2011).

The near-exclusive allocation of approximately 90% of U.S. healthcare funding to patient-focused health services can be attributed to economic and political motivations. Healthcare providers, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies exert substantial influence on policy and funding decisions, incentivizing the prioritization of individual treatment and interventions that generate revenue. Moreover, consumer demand for personalized care, technological innovations, and medical advancements further reinforce a focus on patient-centered services. While this approach enhances individual health outcomes, critics argue that insufficient funding is directed toward preventive and community-based initiatives that could reduce long-term healthcare costs and improve population health (Frenk et al., 2010).

In conclusion, the transformation from the Basic Six to the current set of Essential Public Health Services reflects a maturation of the field toward a more inclusive, preventive-oriented, and complex system. Major catalysts such as technological advances, emerging disease patterns, and social awareness have propelled public health to embrace broader responsibilities. However, the continued emphasis on patient-centered care and funding practices raises questions about whether the U.S. adequately balances individual treatment with population health, highlighting ongoing challenges and opportunities for reform.

References

• Frenk, J., Gómez-Dantés, O., & Knaul, F. (2010). The politics of health in the Americas: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward. The Lancet, 376(9744), 1501-1503.
• Kiessling, A. A., M. R. Blumenthal, et al. (2011). The impact of healthcare reform on public health infrastructure. Journal of Public Health Policy, 32(2), 179-193.
• Koplan, J. P., & Kottke, J. L. (2003). The origin and evolution of public health in the United States. Annual Review of Public Health, 24, 273-294.
• Turnock, B. J. (2016). Public health: What It Is and How It Works. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Thomas, S. (2012). Public health policy: An overview. Journal of Health Policy, 10(1), 45-60.
• Institute of Medicine. (1988). The Future of Public Health. National Academy Press.
• Bryant, J., & McLaughlin, M. (2018). Historical perspectives on public health development. American Journal of Public Health, 108(3), 226-232.
• Szreter, S., & Woolhandler, S. (2019). Public health and the development of social medicine. Critical Public Health, 29(1), 1-12.
• Marmot, M. (2015). The health gap: The challenge of an unequal world. The Lancet, 386(10011), 2442-2444.
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2016). The evolution of public health in the 21st century. Public Health Canada Publications.