title: Health planning and health care for the poor: the internal ethic of public health.
abstract: Health planning involves assessing health care needs of a defined population, setting priorities, then developing, implementing,m and evaluating programs that address priority needs. The concepts of health planning are central to the 1988 report of the Institute of Medicine on the Future of Public Health, which defined the three core functions of public health as assessment, policy development, and assurance. Generally, when health planning is instituted, poor people are identified as having the poorest health status and the greatest need. An internal ethic is therefore created for public health to focus on the health care needs of those in poverty. This internal ethic of public health health can become the driving force for reforming the present U.S. health care system. A reformed health care system would be guided by the principle of care according to need, which not only has a basis in health planning, but in social justice as well.
authors.affiliation: East Tennessee Regional Department of Health, Johnson City 37604, USA.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Erwin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000592:standards*; D004991:Ethics, Institutional; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000592:standards*; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology