Exploring Public Health Databases: getting off the beaten track

Cynthia Kahn, MILS, MPH, AHIP

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Public Health Medicine

Focus on populations Prevention & health

promotion Environment & human

behavior interventions Diverse workforce, variable

education & certifications Social sciences integral;

clinical sciences peripheral to education

Observational studies: case control & cohort studies

Focus on individuals Diagnosis & treatment Clinical interventions Well-established profession,

standardized education & certification

Clinical sciences integral; social sciences less emphasized

Experimental studies with control groups: RCTs.

A Source of Information Is …

A Source of Information Is …

Focus on populations Prevention & health

promotion Environment & human

behavior interventions Diverse workforce, variable

education & certifications Social sciences integral;

clinical sciences peripheral to education

Observational studies: case control & cohort studies

A Source of Public Health Information Is…

Focus on populations Prevention & health

promotion Environment & human

behavior interventions Diverse workforce, variable

education & certifications Social sciences integral;

clinical sciences peripheral to education

Observational studies: case control & cohort studies

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Sources

Sources

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Health Care Providers Professional

Organizations

http://phpartners.org/find_people.html

Sources

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Health Care Providers Professional

Organizations

http://scholar.google.comhttp://www.nyam.org/library/pages/grey_literature_report

Sources

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Community Groups

Online and Bricks-and-Mortar Possibilities: Social Networking Juvenation Blogs – Google Blog Search Community Health Centers: Search HRSA or MEDLINEPlus

GoLocal

Sources

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Government-based Resources

Surveillance Data

Alphabet Soup: DC-DOH, NCI-SEER, CDC-NCHS

Sources

Human Sources Community-Focused Data-Driven Professionally Focused

Educational Tools Online Resources

Variety of Databases – Subscription and Free Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health

http://library.umassmed.edu/ebpph/dblist.cfm Himmelfarb Library – Public Health

www.gwumc.edu/library/eresources/edatabase.cfm