Suggested Reading Topics in community Medicine

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General Principles
1. Definitions of Public Health, Health, Population Health
2. Sentinel Events in the History and Development of Public Health
3. Core Functions of Public Health
4. Essential Services of Public Health
5. Public Health Agency Accreditation
6. Core Values/Principles/Tenets/Frameworks
A. Population Focus
B. Prevention Orientation
C. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Prevention
D. Social Justice
E. Social Ecological Model
F. Life Course Perspective
G. Health Equity
7. Government Responsibility for Public Health
A. Police Power
B. Tenth Amendment
C. Legal Basis for Public Health
D. Basic Case Law in Public Health
8. The Public Health System
A. Health Objectives for your Nation
B. government Responsibility for Public Health
C. Systems‐Level Responsibility, Intersectoral, Public‐Private, etc
D. governmental Agencies, Relationships to international agencies
E. Global Public Health Systems
Biostatistics
1. Visualizing Data
A. Data Presentation
B. Kaplan Meier
C. Simple Regression Lines
2. Descriptive Statistics
A. Central Tendencies and Variability
B. Frequency
C. Percentiles and Standardized Scores
3. Statistical Probability Distributions
A. Normal
B. T Distribution
C. Binomial
D. Chi‐square
E. Poisson
F. F
4. Types of Variables and Measurement Scales
A. Qualitative versus Quantitative Variables
B. Confounding
C. Effect Modifiers
D. Independent versus Dependent Variables
E. Measurement Scales
5. Measurement
A. Reliability
B. Validity
6. Estimation
A. Sampling Theory and Central Limit Theorem
B. Estimation of Population Parameters

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 7. Testing Hypotheses
8. Concepts of Probability
A. Statistical Test Assumptions
B. Level of Significance
C. Decision Errors and Statistical Power
D. Tests for group means (e.g., Z‐test, t‐test, ANOVA)
E. Tests for Proportions (e.g., Chi‐Square, Tests of Independence)
F. Goodness of Fit Tests
9. Risks and Rates
A. Odds Ratio, Relative Risk
10. Correlation and Prediction Methods
A. Correlation
B. Simple Linear Regression
C. Multiple Regression
D. Logistic Regression
E. Survival Analysis
11. Interpreting Statistical Test Results

12. Confidence Internals

Recommended Text Book:

Rosner, B, Fundamentals of Biostatistics, 7th ed., Duxbury, Pacific Grove, CA.

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Health Policy and Management
1. Health Care Delivery System
A. Continuum of Care – Primary through Long‐Term Care
B. Not‐for‐profit, For‐profit, Government Organizations
C. Health Care Financing, Public and Private
D. Patient Protection and Affordable Care
E. Health Care Utilization, Elasticity of Demand
F. Basic Insurance Concepts
2. Access, Cost and Quality Considerations
3. Global Health Care Systems
A. Financing and Delivery Models
4. Health Policy
A. Health Policy‐Making Process
B. National Advocacy Organizations
C. Stakeholder Participation
D. Advocacy – Federal, State and Local Levels
E. Social Ethics
F. Health Economics
5. Management and Leadership
A. Organizational Management
1. Organizational Structure
2. Strategic Management and Leadership
3. Program Planning and Marketing
4. Organizational Ethics
5. Accountability

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B. Human Resources Management
1. Staffing Principles
2. Recruitment, Motivation, Retention
3. Performance Improvement
C. Financial Management
1. Resource Allocation and Control
2. Budgeting

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Environmental Health Sciences
1. Air Quality – Ambient & Indoor
A. Primary and Secondary Chemical Contaminants
B. Greenhouse Gases (e.g. CO2; CH4; etc.)
C. Difference between Mobile and Stationary Sources
D. Governmental Regulation of Air Quality
i. Clean Air Act
ii. Criteria Air Pollutants
E. Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Contaminants of Air
i. Major Contaminant Sources and Factors Affecting Indoor Air
ii. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (Primary/Second and Third‐Hand)
2. Water Quality – Resources & Portable Water
A. Ground Water and Surface Waters
B. Water Scarcity (Climate Change and Population Growth)
C. Major Biological and chemical Contaminants Associated with Water Quality and
Waterborne Illness
D. Waterborne Illness and Disease
E. Municipal (Potable) Water Treatment Versus Waste Water Treatment
F. Governmental l Regulation of Water
i. Clean Water Act (This law at USA as an example)
3. Food Quality and Security
A. Chemical and Biological Contaminants
B. Foodborne illnesses
C. Causes of Foodborne Illnesses
D. Responses of Foodborne Illnesses
E. Regulatory Responsibilities of governmental agencies and sectors with Respect to
Food
4. Built Environment
A. Planning
B. Ecosystem
C. Sustainability and Planning

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 5. General Environmental Health
A. Chemical, Physical and Biological agents in the environment that affect human
health
6. Occupational Health & Safety – Workplaces and Hazardous Materials
A. Major Types/ Sources (Chemical, Physical, Biological Agents)
7. Toxicological Agents/ Principles
A. Principles of Toxicology
B. Routes of Exposure
C. Concept of Dose‐Response
8. Infectious and Zoonotic Agents/ Principles
A. Zoonosis
B. Vectors and Vector Control
9. Global Environmental Health
A. Climate Change
10. Risk Assessment
A. Risk Assessment
B. Risk Communications
C. Risk Management
11. Solid and Hazardous Waste
12. Environmental Justice
13. Injury and Injury Control
14. Disaster Preparedness

Recommended Text Books:

- Environmental Health From Global to Local by Howard Frumkin,Published by : Jossey–Bass, A
Wiley Imprint, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94103-1741, ISBN 978-0-470-40487-
4, www.jossybass.com , phone 1-800 956 7739
- Essentials of Environmental Health (Essential Public Health) 3rd Edition by Robert H. Friis

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 Epidemiology
1. General Knowledge
A. Definition of and Applications of Epidemiology
B. Concept of Risk for Disease
2. Measures of Disease Frequency
A. Incidence and Prevalence
B. Rates
C. Ratios
D. Proportions
E. Standardization
3. Measures of Association and Effect
A. Concepts
B. Comparisons
C. Interpretation and Communication
4. Infectious Disease and Outbreak Investigation
A. Infection and Transmission
B. Immunity
C. Outbreaks and Investigations
D. Disease Surveillance
5. Study Design
A. Observational
B. Experimental
C. Cross‐Sectional
D. Case Control
E. Cohort Studies
F. Retrospective
G. Prospective
6. Causation and Validity
A. Validity
B. Bias
C. Confounding
D. Causal Criteria
7. Screening and Screening Policy
A. Screening Policy

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 B. Sensitivity
C. Specificity
D. Positive and Negative Predictive Value
E. Ethical Principles of Epidemiology

Recommended Text Book: Gordis Epidemiology 6th Edition by David D Celentano ScD MHS (Author),
Moyses Szklo MD (Author).

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 Social Behavioral Sciences
1. Theories, Concepts, and Models
A. Levels of Intervention
i. Intrapersonal Level
ii. Interpersonal Level
iii. Community Level
iv. Societal Level
B. Health Belief Model
C. Theory of Planned Behavior
D. Trans‐theoretical Model of Change
E. Social Cognitive Theory
F. Diffusion of Innovation Theory
2. Intervention Strategies
A. Evidence‐Based Practice
B. Adapting Programs to Specific Populations
C. Social marketing
D. Social Ecological Model
E. Social Support
3. Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
4. Mental Health and Addiction

Recommended Textbook: Glanz, K., Lewis, F.M., & Rimer, B.K. (Eds.). Health Behavior and Health
Education (4th ed.).

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Communications and Informatics
1. Public Health Information Infrastructure
2. Message Design
3. Communication Theories and Strategies
4. Informatics Theories and Strategies
5. Legal and Ethical Issues in Information Technology
6. Audience Issues
A. Individual, Community, Institutional
B. Legislative Testimony
C. Legal Testimony
7. Using Informatics Tools to Promote Public Health
8. Informatics and Communications as Advocacy Tools
9. Media
10. Risk Communication

Diversity and Culture

1. History of Definitions, Perceptions of Race and Ethnicity, Data Collection
2. Cultural Competence, Principles, and Practices
3. Health Disparities
4. Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability of Services
5. Culturally Appropriate Community Engagement and Empowerment
6. Community Based Participatory Research
7. Health Literacy
A. Assuring Accurate Cross‐Cultural Communication
B. Cultural Influences on Communication
8. Cultural Influences on Behavior, including Health‐Seeking Behavior
9. Environmental Justice and Equity

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 Leadership
1. Attributes
A. Visionary
B. Inspiring
C. Mentoring
D. Risk‐Taking
E. Motivating Others for Problem‐Solving and Decision‐Making
2. Leadership Theories and Principles
3. Vision, Mission, Values, Goals, and Objectives
4. Communicating, Listening, and Responding
5. Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution
6. Leadership vs Management
7. Team Building
8. Engaging Stakeholders, Building Coalitions
9. Social Justice and Human Rights Principles
10. Advocacy

Suggested references:
• Mintzberg, “ The Manager’s Job—Folklore or Fact”
• Collins “Level 5 Leadership”
• Livingston “Pygmalion in Management”
• VIDEO: “The Power of Introverts”, TED Talk
• “In Lieu of Money, Toyota Donates Efficiency to New York Charity”, NYTimes, July 26, 2013
• Chandra, A, et al, “Utilization of Performance Appraisal Systems in Health Care Organizations and
Improvement Strategies for Supervisors”, The Health Care Manager, Vol 23, No. 1, 2003.
The TOWS Matrix: A Situational Analysis
• Collins “Level 5 Leadership”
• Senge, “The Leader’s New Work: Building Learning Organizations”
• Kotter “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”

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Ethics and Professionalism
1. Principles
A. Ethical Principles
B. Ethical Analysis
C. Code of Ethics
2. Protection of Human Subjects
3. Evidence‐Based Planning and Evaluation
4. Fiduciary Responsibilities
5. Population vs Individual Ethical Considerations
6. Impact of Legal and Regulatory Environments on Research and Practice

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 Program Planning and Evaluation
1. Needs Assessment
2. Stakeholder Involvement and Feedback
3. Fidelity to Program Design in Implementation
4. Identifying Intervention and Prevention Strategies
5. Vision, Mission, Goals and Values
6. Setting Priorities and Measureable Objectives
7. Developing Programs and Policies
8. Developing Program Budgets
9. Evaluation Methods and Designs
A. Measuring Efficiency
B. Measuring Effectiveness
C. Formative, Summative, etc.
10. Communicating Evaluation Results
11. Measuring Effectiveness

Public Health Biology

1. Host Susceptibility, Genetic Factors, and Immunologic Response
2. Biologic and Molecular Basis for Public Health
3. Genetics and Genomics
4. Agent Virulence, Pathogenesis, and Treatment Resistance
5. Modes of Disease Transmission

Suggested textbook: Essentials of Public Health Biology (Essential Public Health).

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 Systems Thinking
1. Characteristics of a System
2. Systems Theory
A. Feedback loops
B. Stocks and Flows
3. Measurement of System Changes
4. Effects of Globalization on Human Health
5. Determinants of Health Status – Biologic, Sociocultural, etc.
6. Public Health Relationships with Other Public Systems

• Reed “Leadership and Systems Thinking”

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