Launched on December 2, 2010, Healthy People 2020 is an ambitious, science-based, 10-year agenda for improving the health of all Americans. A key component, Education for Health, is an educational roadmap to achieve the Healthy People 2020 goals. Formulated by the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, this set of new and revised educational objectives provides a vehicle for promoting the discussion and progress that will be needed to achieve an integrated, seamless approach to education for health for the American public as well as for health professionals. The February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine features a series of articles that examine public-health educational needs and goals for the U.S.

"The Task Force envisions a decade-long process to define and implement specific learning outcomes that can be integrated across the educational continuum," commented Richard K. Riegelman, MD, PhD, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and David R. Garr, MD, Medical University of South Carolina, co- chairs of the Task Force. "Interprofessional prevention education, in which health professionals learn and practice together, is seen by the Task Force as a key method for implementation. Understanding the roles played by a range of clinical health professionals is also essential for achieving optimal communication and understanding. Healthy People 2020 and discussions and pilot programs that connect public health, clinical health professions, and educators from the pre-K years through graduate school will be increasingly critical in the future. Stimulating these discussions and encouraging pilot efforts will continue to be central to the mission of the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force."

The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, founded in 2002, is convened by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and represents eight prominent health professions education associations that continue to work collaboratively to implement the educational objectives of Healthy People 2020. These objectives are:

* Increase the proportion of elementary, middle, and senior high schools that have health education goals or objectives that address the knowledge and skills articulated in the National Health Education Standards (high school, middle, elementary)

* Increase the proportion of 2-year colleges that offer public health or related associate degrees and/or certificate programs

* Increase the proportion of 4-year colleges and universities that offer public health or related majors and/or minors

* Increase the inclusion of core clinical prevention and population health content in health professions education

These articles by prominent experts closely examine the Education for Health framework and how public health awareness and training will provide a better informed populace and a new generation of healthcare leaders for the U.S.

KEY POINTS:

A 2020 Vision for Educating the Next Generation of Public Health Leaders
Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, Juleigh M. Nowinski, BS, Julie J. Piotrowski, MPH

Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, provides direction for where the nation can and should head as it attempts to educate health professionals and the community at large for a healthier America. Healthy People 2010 and Education for Health: What Are the Objectives?
Richard K. Riegelman, MD, PhD, David R. Garr, MD

This introductory overview explains the background and development of the Education for Health framework and outlines the challenges for the next decade. Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs for Schools and Communities
Dianna D. Inman, DNP, CPNP-PC, Karen M. van Bakergem, LMSW, Angela C. LaRosa, MD, MSCR, David R. Garr, MD

Beginning with communities and local schools, Dianna Inman and colleagues view the role of education as part of the broader socioecologic model of health. Employing a comprehensive literature review, the authors have identified and recommend evidence-based, peer-reviewed programs, strategies, and resources. Community Colleges and Public Health - Making the Connections
Brenda A. Kirkwood, MPH, Richard K. Riegelman, MD, PhD

The authors point out that while public health is a rapidly growing undergraduate major at 4-year institutions, community colleges may play an increasingly important role in the future of health education. Two-year programs leading to associate degrees or certificates may provide some of the 250,000 health care workers who will be needed by 2020. Undergraduate Public Health at 4-Year Institutions - It's Here to Stay
Richard K. Riegelman, MD, PhD, Susan Albertine, PhD

Riegelman and Albertine carry this theme forward with an article about increasing the number of 4-year institutions that offer minors or majors in public health. They also discuss how public health education should be part of all undergraduate curricula, leading to a better-informed citizenry. Using the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework to Encourage Curricular Change
Rika Maeshiro, MD, MPH, Clyde H. Evans, PhD, Joan M. Stanley, PhD, RN, Susan M. Meyer, PhD, Vladimir W. Spolsky, DMD, MPH, Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, Mary Beth Bigley, DrPH, MSN, ANP, Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, William G. Lang, MPH, Kenneth L. Johnson, PhD

Maeshiro and co-authors review how the original Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework, issued in 2004, has been incorporated into initiatives that help promote curricular change, such as accreditation standards and national board examination content, and efforts to disseminate the experiences of peers, expert recommendations, and activities that monitor and update curricular content.

Model Approaches for Advancing Interprofessional Prevention Education
Clyde H. Evans, PhD, Suzanne B. Cashman, ScD, Donna A. Page, MPH, David R. Garr, MD

Recognizing that the healthcare systems of the future will rely increasingly on professionals from multiple disciplines, the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research sponsored the Institute for Interprofessional Prevention Education in 2007 and in 2008. Clyde H. Evans and co-authors describe the Institute, the lessons learned about team-building, and the collaboration required to coordinate interprofessional care.

The Roles of Healthcare Professionals in Implementing Clinical Prevention and Population Health
Tatiana Zenzano, MD, MPH, Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, FAAN, Mary Beth Bigley, DrPH, MSN, ANP, Reamer L. Bushardt, PharmD, PA-C, David R. Garr, MD, Ken Johnson, PhD, FACHE, William Lang, MPH, Rika Maeshiro, MD, MPH, Susan M. Meyer, PhD, Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH, Vladimir W. Spolsky, DMD, MPH, Joan M. Stanley, PhD, CRNP, FAAN

In the final article, Zenzano and colleagues summarize each health profession's contributions to the fıelds of prevention and population health, explain how the profession contributes to interprofessional education or practice, review specific challenges faced in the provision of these types of services, and highlight future opportunities to expand the provision of these services.

These articles appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 40, Issue 2 (February 2011) published by Elsevier. Funding was provided by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation of New York.

Source:
AJPM Editorial Office
Elsevier Health Sciences